The Faithful Promise
by AznVKai
Summary: COMPLETE - All it takes is a promise to bring two people back together whether it has been broken or not. This is a friendship, anger, sorrow, and love tale between two friends who promised to spend the rest of their lives together after ten years apart.
1. The Younger Days

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Satoshi Hitsugaya, Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya, Miyako Hinamori, and Tatsuya Hinamori.

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><p><strong><span>Synopsis<span>:** The remake of After Years Apart. All it takes is a promise to bring two people back together whether it has been broken or not. This is a tale of friendship, anger, sorrow, and love between two friends who promised to spend the rest of their lives together after spending ten years apart.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>:** Just like Forget Me Not, this story is a remake of one of my previous written stories. Compared to After Years Apart, this story's length is longer and the plot is more dramatic. You'll see what I mean as you read the chapters. This story is dedicated to all my supporting fans and all the HitsuHina fans out there! Without any further delay, here is the first chapter of The Faithful Promise.

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." **Toshiro's Narration. **_

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><p><strong><em>Promise. By definition, it means to declare that something will or will not be done. Though they're made, sometimes they ended up being unfulfilled. One promise I made to a friend has a meaningful story behind it. Not only it brought all sorts of trouble, but it brought us back together after many years of being apart. The events that lead to that faithful promise and our lives onwards started when I was only four years old...<em>**

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><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter One:** The Younger Days

Toshiro Hitsugaya is sitting on a chair in the kitchen, hugging his favourite blue winged dragon stuffed animal. At the same time, he is watching his loving parents scurry back and forth. They are getting everything ready before the guests for the reunion party arrive. "Oh, they're going to be here at any minute now," the dark haired woman said worryingly. "Satoshi-kun, how do I look?"

"You look just fine, Naomi-chan," the white haired man replied. "You don't need to worry about your appearance so much. Besides, Tatsuya and Miyako-chan are only coming over."

She stopped and turned her attention to him. "Yes, but when was the last time we saw them?"

Satoshi Hitsugaya folded his arms and thought for a moment. "Um, around five years ago..."

"Oh my gosh, it has been five years?" she exclaimed. "That's so long ago! So many things happened over the past five years! They could have done so many exciting things during our years apart while we were just busy raising our son here!"

Toshiro just tilted his head over to one side, wondering if he has something to do with the conversation they speak of. However, it didn't take long before something else got his attention. Smelling something strange, the white haired boy followed the foul stench and noticed that smoke is starting to come out from the oven. He suddenly said to his parents, "Something is burning."

"Burning?"

When Satoshi and Naomi noticed what their child is referring to, both parents became alarmed. With a high pitched squeak, Naomi ran over to the counter to put on her oven mittens while her husband opened all the windows in the room and turned on the exhaust fan. By the time the oven was opened, they saw their beloved meal is now ruined. The female Hitsugaya let out a defeated sigh. "I guess having burnt chicken for dinner is out of the question now," she said. "What should we do, Satoshi?"

"I suppose we have no other choice, but to make something else."

"Hn, we could make some fried fish and vegetables."

"Well, let's get everything ready," Satoshi said while walking over to the refrigerator.

Naomi nodded with agreement. "Okay."

As the white haired man is taking out the necessary ingredients to make their meal, the young mother turned to her son. "Why don't you go upstairs and get changed, Lil'Shiro?"

"Do I really have to?" Toshiro asked. "I look fine the way I am."

"Yes, little one. We're going to introduce you to our best friends since middle school. So, you have to look nice."

"Okay..."

Hitsugaya turned his body to the side and jumped onto the ground on his feet. With a single look at his smiling parent, he left the kitchen to get changed into a new pair of clothes in his bedroom. Naomi folded her arms and let out a snort. She turned to Satoshi and said, "Ou, I just want to hug him! He's so cute when he talks like that!"

After he finished cutting the vegetables with his knife, the dark eyed husband looked at his wife and cracked a smile. "When Toshiro grows up a bit, he's going to hate you for saying those things about him."

"Yes, but he can't hate me for a long time." She walked up to him and cuddled against his back. "Besides, he's our perfect little child."

All of a sudden, they heard the door bell ring.

"Ah, it must be them!" Satoshi stopped what he was doing and turned off the exhaust fan. He then joined Naomi, who is answering the door in the front entrance. By the time he arrived, he heard a pair of delightful squeals. "Miyako-chan, is that really you? You sure look different from the last time we met."

"I should the same thing about you, Naomi-chan!" the raven haired woman excitedly replied.

She nodded and turned her attention to her friend's husband. "Tatsuya-kun, it's nice to see you again."

"Same here; where's Sat-Oh never mind, there's Satoshi."

The two men engaged in a firm handshake. The male Hitsugaya asked, "Hey Tatsuya, how have you been doing these days?"

"I've been doing well, actually. How about you?"

He smiled. "Not too shabby myself."

"That's good to hear."

As the two families get reacquainted with one another, Toshiro walked downstairs to find them talking with one another. With his blue dragon still in his arms, he said, "Oto-san, Okaa-san, I finished changing just like you said."

Upon hearing the additional voice, the Hitsugaya and Hinamori families stopped and looked over to see the white haired boy watching them. While Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, Miyako started cooing at the child. "Aw, who is this little boy?"

Naomi smiled and replied, "He's our son."

Walking to his parents' side, he politely bowed to the guests and introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you; I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Oh my gosh, he's so adorable!" Miyako exclaimed. "How old is he?"

"He's four years old."

"He's four years old, huh? So, he's older than our child."

The two Hitsugaya parents looked at one another before resuming their attention to the Hinamori parents. "You have a child, too?"

"Yes, she's right he-" Miyako looked around in search of her child only to find the little one hiding behind her father's legs. Placing a hand on the back of her shoulder, she gently pushed the raven haired girl aside for everyone to see. "She's our daughter, Momo. She's three years old."

Naomi bent down to get a better look at the shy girl. When she noticed, the child hid behind Tatsuya's legs again. It is when she looked over to see her son curiously watching the girl. A smile cracked on her face. Whenever there are guests visiting, he prefers to play with the other children like him opposed to sitting around the group of adults and listening to their conversations. Naomi asked, "Lil'Shiro, why don't you be friends with Momo-chan and play together for a bit?"

Toshiro nodded with agreement. He walked past the Hinamori parents and leaned over to see the timid chocolate brown eyed girl. Grabbing onto her father's pants, Momo buried her face into it. He asked, "Don't worry; I don't bite."

Remembering about his dragon plush, he held it out for the younger child to see.

"Hyorinmaru doesn't bite either." He smiled. "Actually, he's very friendly."

All of a sudden, he pulled the stuffed animal back and held it against his ear. "Hn, what is it Hyorinmaru?"

After a few nods, Momo became curious. So, she slowly came out of her hiding spot. She timidly asked, "W-What did he...say?"

Upon hearing her voice for the first time, he looked at her and gave the girl a smile. "He says that we should become friends. That way, we can play together whenever our parents visit each other."

"R-Really?"

He nodded and extended a hand out to her. "Yeah, let's go inside and have some fun!"

At first, she was uncertain whether to trust the older boy's words. But nevertheless, she eventually extended her hand out and accepted his offer. Holding hands with her, he began guiding the younger girl to take off her shoes and run deep into the house. After watching the two children, Naomi, Miyako, and Satoshi let out smiles on their faces. "I get the feeling that those two are going to get along just fine," the female Hitsugaya said.

Miyako nodded with agreement. "I think so too."

"Are you sure this is okay to let them play like that?" Tatsuya asked.

"Don't worry, Tatsuya-kun; they're just children. For now, there's no need to worry about those two becoming each other's partner in the future."

"Oh no, I know that tone of voice. You want Momo-chan to marry that kid someday!"

"Really?" Naomi exclaimed. "I think so too!"

The female Hitsugaya turned her attention to her husband.

"Don't you agree, Satoshi-kun?"

The male Hitsugaya let out a deep sigh. "We'll see how things go in the years to come."

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><p><strong><em>Over the next two years, my parents and Hinamori's parents often visit one another. Whenever they come over to the house or vice versa, I get spend time with Momo. At that time, we have already become fairly close friends.<em>**

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><p>She heard a knock on the door. Excited, the peach girl jumped up from the sofa and ran to answer the door. "Oi Momo-chan, be careful!" Miyako warned. "I don't want you to get hurt!"<p>

"I know, Okaa-san!" the five year old child exclaimed. She took a tall stool from the side and placed it in front of the door. After carefully stepping on top of it, she took a peek through the peep hole to see her parents' family friends at the door. She also saw her close friend at the door as well. With a smile on her face, she pulled back, jumped off, and put the stool back where it belongs. She then unlocked and opened the door. "Ohayo Hitsugaya-san, Naomi-san!"

"Good morning Momo," Satoshi greeted.

"Ohayo Momo-chan," Naomi happily replied. "How are you today?"

"I'm feeling great!" She then turned to the six year old boy. "Ohayo Shiro-chan!"

In response, he gave her a stern look. "Oi Bed-Wetter, didn't I already tell you to stop calling me by that nickname?"

"Lil'Shiro, you shouldn't address Momo-chan like that," Naomi warned. "Show some respect to the pretty young lady."

All of a sudden, he let out a snort. "I don't know about that."

"Toshiro!"

"Don't worry, Naomi-san; I-I don't mind," Hinamori interrupted. "He doesn't really mean it."

She then smiled at the white haired boy.

"Isn't that right, Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya let out a deep sigh. Looking away from the peach girl, he mumbled, "Whatever you say..."

Taking hold of his hand, she guided him inside the house. After telling him to take off his shoes, she lead him inside while she left the Hitsugaya parents to do their own thing. Naomi giggled with amusement. "Yep, they're definitely meant for one another."

Satoshi then shook his head back and forth. "You're definitely going to try and influence him, aren't you?"

She smiled happily. "You got that right!"

"I feel sorry for Toshiro."

"He'll thank me later for making that decision for him."

The white haired father then shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know about that..."

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><p>"Oi, slow down!" Hitsugaya exclaimed. "I-I can barely keep up with you!"<p>

However, the raven haired girl wasn't listening. Momo slammed the door open and ran into her bedroom while him along. When she finally stopped, she let go of his hand. He let out a relived sigh. Thank goodness, he didn't get hurt in the process. He looked and noticed his friend is looking at a pot with a small grown plant which is perched at the window sill. Glancing back at him, she smiled. "I wanted to show this to you!"

"It's a plant."

"It's not just any plant." She turned her body around and extended her hands out. "It's going to grow into a big and healthy peach tree!"

"A peach tree, huh?"

She nodded. "I'm going to name her Tobiume!"

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "Tobiume? What a strange name for it."

It is when the younger girl made a face. "I know it's supposed to be an good name for a plum tree, b-but it's sounds cool just like your Hyorinmaru!"

"Hyorinmaru, huh?" he said, thinking about his blue dragon plush that is sitting on his bed at home. He then cracked a smile. "In that case, I think it's a nice name."

She then smiled happily. "I'm glad you think so too!"

"When did you start growing it?"

"Hn, I think I started about a month ago."

"I see."

"I can't wait to eat all the peaches when it finally bears fruit! I'll be sure to give you some to eat too!"

He smiled. "It sounds good to me."

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><p><em><strong>However, all good things must come to an end someday. Because her father accepted a high paying job offer, the whole family have to move overseas in a large city called New York.<strong>  
><em>

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><p>Toshiro and Momo stood face to face in front of the Hinamori residence in the early morning hours of the day. He looked down at Hyorinmaru and held him tightly. He didn't want this day to come. However, time wouldn't allow him to change it. He raised his head up to see the teary look of his friend's face. She said, "Well, this is it..."<p>

He slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

There is a moment of silence. "Um, will we ever see each other again?"

"I-I don't know..."

Momo lowered her head, feeling sad. This may be the last time they will see each other. All of a sudden, she came up with an idea. Running up to the six year old boy, she quickly snatched the dragon plush from his protective arms and held it in hers. "Oi, what are you doing?"

"Can I keep him?" she suddenly asked.

"No, you may no-"

"I know he's important to you," Momo interrupted. "I-I just want to take care of him for a bit."

She then cracked a faint smile.

"I'll make sure to return him when we meet again."

First, he looked at Hyorinmaru and then raised his head to look up at Momo. Other than his parents, he loved his stuffed animal to the point he wouldn't let go. However, thinking about the prospect of seeing his friend again made him think otherwise. Losing his favourite plush is nothing compared to losing his friend. He let out a defeated sigh. "Okay fine, you can hold onto him until then."

Hinamori smiled. "Thank you, I will take very good care of him."

Toshiro let out a small smirk. "You better or else I won't forgive you."

With a single nod, Momo puts Hyorinmaru into the safety of her bag. Walking over to the side, she picked up her potted peach tree plant and returned to her original spot. "In return, can you take care of Tobiume?" she asked, holding the pot out to him. "My parents said I can't bring her with me to America."

He accepted her offer and took the plant into his possession. "I-I guess so..."

"You're the best, Shiro-chan."

"It's not Shiro-chan, it's Hits-"

Before he could finish his sentence, they heard the sound of Miyako's voice. "Momo-chan, it's time to go!"

"I'm coming, Okaa-san!" She resumed her attention to him. "Please don't forget me."

He gave her a stern look. "What makes you think I'm going to forget a Bed-Wetter like you?"

Momo let out a pout before she looked away, trying to hide the blush on her face. She slowly said, "Maybe when we see each other again, we might become even closer friends than now possibly to the point we might...decide to spend the rest of our lives together."

Hitsugaya then shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose..."

Her face suddenly lightened up. "You really mean it?"

He nodded. "It's not like I hate you or anything."

Happy to hear him say those words, she walked up to him and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Surprised by her action, he placed hand on where her mark is and asked, "W-What was that about?"

"A faithful promise has been made between you and I. I'll make sure to remember and keep it. As for you, you better do the same."

The car started honking. "Um, sure...whatever you say."

"I'll see you again someday, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Oi, it's Hi-" Her words sudden dawned to him. "Wait, you called me by my last name."

After showing him one last warm smile, she turned around to go inside the car. Watching her from the back window, he saw her take out his dragon plush for him to see. She then started waving him good bye. In response, he raised his hand up and did the same.

He whispered, "See you soon, Hinamori."

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><p><strong><em>As I watched her leave in that car, I felt loneliness starting to fill the void in my heart. Losing a friend hurts. However, as I would find out later, that was the least of my worries. It turns out that temporarily losing a friend is nothing compared to the future event that happened after wards. As a result of it, I grew up, forgetting all about her and the precious moments we have spent together.<em>**

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><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Oto-san**_ - Father, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Ohayo **_- Good Morning

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **A sad farewell and the foreshadowing of future events to come. What will become of their friendship? Well, stay tuned and find out in the next chapter of The Faithful Promise. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	2. The Present Day

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Miyako Hinamori, Tatsuya Hinamori, and Kristina Smith.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>:** Hey everyone! I'm back with today's update. Thank you everyone for your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **anime16, becomeafan, Desiree, Mrs. HopeEstheim, kat, 90210, Crystal183, toshiko-san21, **and **Evertale**. Your feedback is very much appreciated! **  
><strong>

_Message to** Desiree**_: Yes, a lot people seems to like Naomi as a character in my stories. It's probably because she's a fun loving type of mother who likes to keep up with her son's daily life. LOL. Poor Toshiro...Thanks for your review!

_Message to **kat**:_ Yeah, you can't really compare After Years Apart to The Faithful Promise as of right now. It's too early to say anything. However, I do hope that this story will be a huge improvement compared to the old version. It will consist of twenty chapters, a complex storyline, and more drama. Well, thanks for your review!

_Message to **90210**_: Oh, don't worry; I don't plan on making them adopted siblings this time. Hitsugaya and Hinamori will have one or both parents to live with. Oops, I just spilled a minor spoiler there. Later in the chapters to come, Momo will be leaving her parents in America to live with Toshiro and his family in Japan. Oops, I just spilled another spoiler. Oh well, I can't do anything about it now. xD Thanks for your review!

Without any further delay, here is chapter two. Enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Two:** The Present Day

_**Ten Years Later...**_

The school bell ring throughout the premises as students of New York High quickly packed their belongings and leaves the building. Today is the last day of the semester. For fifteen year old Momo Hinamori, today is much more significant than that. While she is packing her books and writing utensils, she stopped for a moment to look around the classroom. _"My last day here is finally over," _she thought. _"From this point on, my adventures in Seireitei will begin once again." _

All of a sudden, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her body. The peach girl let go of her stuff and let out a squeak. She looked over her shoulder to see her friend behind her.

"K-Kristina!"

With one look at her, the blond haired teenager started swelling up tears in her eyes. "Momo, I can't believe the semester is over!"

"Y-Yeah, I know it's over. So, what is there to cry about?"

"Isn't that obvious?" she asked. "You're not going to be attending this school anymore!"

Hinamori let out a sigh and turned around. Placing her hands on the older girl's shoulders, she said, "Just because I'm going back to Japan, it doesn't mean we're not going to see each other again."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. Taking a handkerchief from her pocket, she offered it to her friend to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I'm certain."

"I'm going to miss you, Momo."

"I know; I'm going to miss you too. Are you going to see me off tomorrow?"

The blue eyed girl nodded with agreement. "Of course, I'll be there!"

Momo smiled. "Shall we get out of here? Everyone's gone now."

Kristina returned Momo's handkerchief. "Okay."

With that said, she returned to her desk to finish packing her belongings into her bag. Once they are done, they left the classroom and walked out of the school premises together.

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><p>"I forgot to ask you this: how did you managed to persuade your parents to let you go?"<p>

"When I told my mother, she quickly accepted my decision," Hinamori explained. "On the other hand, it took a while before my father accepted."

"I can imagine that; your father is very overprotective of you."

Hinamori placed a hand over her mouth and giggled. "I suppose so..."

They walked through the streets for a few minutes until Momo folded her arms over her chest.

She thought for a moment before saying, "I hope my Japanese is efficient enough for my friends in Japan to understand me."

"I'm sure your Japanese speech is just fine," Kristina replied. "Besides, you've been speaking Japanese with your parents for the past ten years."

Hinamori nodded and continued walking through the busy streets of New York City.

"Come to think of it, where are you going to stay during your stay there?"

"My mother made arrangements for me to stay at her best friend's house," she answered.

"Oh..."

Momo looked up into the sky and smiled. "I will also be living with her son, who is one of my closest friends."

"Hn, really?"

Hinamori nodded. "He's also the same person who promised to spend the rest of our lives together."

"So the reason you're going back to Japan is to fulfill the faithful promise you made with your future husband."

The peach girl blushed and slowly nodded. "Yeah, I can't wait to see him again."

Kristina smiled, feeling happy for her friend. "What is his name?"

"His name is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, huh?" she said. "Is he a nice person?"

"Absolutely! He's a very kind person," Hinamori said. "When I used to live in Japan, we often go to each others' houses to play with one another."

"I see."

By the time Momo noticed, they have arrived at her house. The two friends stopped walking and turned to face each other. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. I have to finish packing my luggage for the plane trip."

Kristina nodded. "See you, Momo."

The two friends wrapped their arms around one another and gave each other a loving hug. Once they broke apart, Hinamori watched her friend leave. After she is gone, the peach girl let out a sigh. She turned around to face the door. Taking out her house key from her pocket, she placed it in the doorknob and unlocked the door. Once she removed it, she opened the door and entered the house. After closing and locking it shut, she began changing her footwear. "I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Momo-chan!"

Hearing her mother's voice, the raven haired girl walked into the living room to find her sitting on the couch watching television. "Eh Okaa-san, you're home early."

Miyako Hinamori turned around and nodded with agreement. She replied, "Yep, I asked my boss to leave early today. Besides, we have a lot to do before you board the flight to Japan tomorrow morning."

The fifteen year old teenager nodded with agreement. "Ah yeah, I'll go take a shower first before I start packing my stuff."

"Okay." After watching her daughter leave the living room, she turned around and put up a guts pose with both her fists. With an excited smile on her face, she said, "Ou, I can't wait for her and Toshiro-kun to reunite with one another! It's just so unfortunate that I can't be there to see the love blossom in front of my eyes."

Suddenly, she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. When she turned her head to the hallway, her husband entered the living room.

"Tatsuya-kun, you're home early."

He took a seat next to her and gave his lovely wife a kiss. "Of course I have to be home early," he said. "Today is my last day to spend time with my sweet peach!"

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now now, it's not like Momo-chan is leaving us forever. Once she has settled down in Japan and so forth, she will get the chance to visit us from time to time."

The two parents continued talking with one another until Hinamori came into the living room with her hair dying in the air and dressed in her pajamas. Noticing her father sitting next to her mother, she said, "Oto-san, you're home."

Tatsuya Hinamori stood up from his seat. Walking over to his fifteen year old daughter, he placed his hands on her shoulders. With a serious look on his face, he said, "It is not too late to change plans. There is no need for you to return to Japan."

Momo let out a defeated sigh. "I have made up my mind. I will go back to Japan to fulfill my promise with Hitsugaya-kun. Besides, ten years have already passed by. He's probably still waiting for me."

"Just because he may be still waiting for you it doesn't mean you drop everything you're doing here in New York and catch the next flight to Japan! Wait until you have graduated from high school in order to visit him."

"No, I can't wait that long!" Momo snapped. "I-It's just...I don't want to forget about him."

"Now, Tatsuya give up," Miyako said. "You have already agreed to let her go. So, don't bother to take back your words."

Noticing the tone of his wife's voice, the male Hinamori jerked back. If he doesn't be careful of his words, he is going to pay the price by getting punished. "O-Okay, I got it!"

The wife smiled. "I'm glad we have a mutual understanding. Besides, it's our job as parents to support her decisions."

She then stood up from her seat and walked over to her daughter. After placing her hands on Momo's shoulders, she turned her around and started pushing her towards the hallway.

"In the meantime, let's go to your room and start packing your stuff."

"Ah y-yeah," Hinamori replied.

Once the two females are gone, Tatsuya placed a hand over his forehead and sighed with defeat. "I can't believe my sweet peach has already reached her rebellious stage. Damn it, Naomi and her son better take good care of her!"

* * *

><p>"I can't wait to see him again," Momo asked as she and her mother are in her bedroom, folding clothes into the luggage. "I wonder what he looks like now."<p>

Miyako smiled. "I'm sure he has grown up to become quite the handsome person."

Hinamori giggled. "Well, I guess I'll find out once I get there."

Her mother nodded. _"Actually, Naomi-chan has sent me an e-mail with a recent photograph of him. If I was around their age, I would have totally fallen in love with him."_

"Okaa-san, is there something wrong?"

Noticing that her daughter is looking at her, the older Hinamori dropped some clothes on her lap just to raise both hands up. Waving them back and forth, she replied, "Ah no, it's nothing. I was reminiscing about the past when we all used to live in Japan. If it weren't for your father's job, we would have stayed there."

Momo placed her hands on her lap and lowered her head. With a nostalgic look on her face, she said, "Yeah, I would have grown up with Hitsugaya-kun..."

_"Momo-chan..."_

Seeing her mother feeling sympathetic, Hinamori suddenly said, "But anyway, everything is going to be alright once we're back together!"

Miyako smiled. "That's right!"

Noticing her old friend's stuffed dragon plush on her bed, she picked it up. After giving it a loving embrace, she said, "I wonder what he's doing right now."

The older Hinamori placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment. "If I'm correct, then it's about six-thirty in the morning over there."

"Hn, so he's probably still sleeping."

"Who knows..." Miyako then realized something. "Speaking about time, I have to start preparing for tonight's dinner. I'm cooking your favourite."

"Really?" Momo asked while watching her mother leave her seat. "Arigato Okaa-san!"

Just as she is at the door, the wife of the house resumed her attention to her child. She smiled. "You're welcome, Momo-chan."

Once she left the room, Hinamori stood up from her seat and walked over to the window. With Hyorinmaru in her arms, she watched the scenery outside. All of a sudden, she cracked a smile on her face._ "It's only a matter of time before we meet again, Hitsugaya-kun."_

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><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, **_Oto-san_** - Father, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Yes, Momo is very excited to see Toshiro again. Their faithful promise will bring them together again. xD What about Toshiro's reaction? Well, you just have to wait and find out in my next update! Please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	3. Let's Celebrate!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another update for this story! Special thanks goes to **NeonCookies O.o, applestoapples, Crystal183, becomeafan, anime16, kat, mao, Evertale, **and **icyangel27. **Thank you for your support! **  
><strong>

_Message to** applestoapples**_: I know how much you feel. I am trying my best to come up with epic ideas just like the ones from The Healing Heart. As of right now, it's too early for me to reveal anything very dramatic because the story has just begun. Hopefully, the dramatic events I will add in the future will stir the main storyline. Thanks for your review!

Without any further delays, here is chapter three. Enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Three:** Let's Celebrate!

"Kanpai!"

Glasses gently clashed against one another before returning to their respective owners. They all took a moment to put their lips against the cold glass and drink some of the orange juice inside. Out of the eight teenagers, one of them drank most of her juice and let out a loud satisfying sigh. "Kyaa, nothing tastes better than a drink with your friends on this wonderful study-free weekend! You agree, right Gin?"

"You said it, Rangiku!" her gray haired classmate agreed.

After finishing the juice contents from her drink, she held out her empty glass to the shortest schoolmate in the group. She asked, "Hey Hitsugaya, can I please get another glass of orange juice?"

He shot her an icy glare. "Oi, just who do you think I am?" the white haired teenager asked. "I'm not your personal slave, Matsumoto."

"Don't be so stingy; you're supposed to be a good host for us."

Angry, he slammed his drink on the table. As a result, his action startled everyone. "What hell are you talking about? You're the one who barged into my house and invited the others to party with you!"

"We had no other choice, but to choose your house. Besides, you're living alone most of the time."

"That's because my mother is often gone on business trips," the sixteen year old teenager explained. "It can't be helped that things are the way they are right now. From time to time, Obaa-san comes over to check up on me."

"Well, at least you're doing fine," Orihime Inoue said.

Toshiro then turned his gaze away from the group. "Yeah, somehow..."

Shuhei Hisagi took a sip from his drink. "Time seems to fly by so fast. Who would have known that Rangiku, Ichimaru, and I are going to graduate from Seireitei High by the end of the next semester?"

"Ah, you're right!" Inoue said. "Have you three already decided what you're going to do after?"

"I'm planning to enroll in a school that has a journalism program."

"As for me, I plan to continue my education in fashion and design!" Matsumoto declared.

"Sugoi Rangiku-san!"

"I think so too!"

"How suitable of you to decide on enrolling into that program," Izuru Kira said.

"Let's just hope she manages to stay in school during her next four years of school," classmate, Renji Abarai replied.

All of a sudden, an arm hooked around his neck and pulls him close to her chest. As the red headed teenager struggled to escape from her breasts, Matsumoto said, "I heard that comment of yours, Renji."

"A-Ack, I-I-I can't breathe!"

"Apologize!"

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

That action could have been done to any of them. With that in mind, the remaining boys sighed. Once Abarai has been released from her death grip, he quickly gasped for air. Rukia Kuchiki, who is sitting beside him, said, "That serves you right when you say that, Renji."

"Shut up, Rukia..."

"Do you know what would be amusing?" Ichimaru asked. "I would laugh if Ichigo-kun ends up taking over his father's clinic."

"There's no way I'm going to take over that old man's clinic," Ichigo Kurosaki replied, shooting a glare at the older teenager. "However, what's even funnier is that Renji and Rukia end up getting engaged to one another."

Without any warning, he got punched and kicked in the face by Abarai and Kuchiki. They both exclaimed in unison, "Uruse Ichigo!"

"Shit, what the hell was that about?" the orange haired teenager snapped at the two childhood friends.

"There is no way I'm going to marry Rukia! We're just friends!"

"I'm definitely not going to marry Renji!" she agreed. "It doesn't make sense!"

"Speaking about potential bright futures, there is someone in this room who has yet to experience the youth," Matsumoto said, grinning at the white haired teenager. "Isn't that right, Mr. Innocent Bachelor? Why don't you go out with one of the girls in the schools?"

Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest and glared at the older teenager. He then picked up his drink from the table. He replied, "They're annoying and they're not my type."

Rangiku placed a finger on her chin and stared up at the ceiling for a bit. After a moment of deep thought, she resumed her attention to him. She suggested, "Then, why don't you ask Karin-chan to be your girlfriend?"

Hearing his sister's name mentioned, Ichigo started eavesdropping on the conversation. At the same time, Toshiro frowned at her. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Matsumoto. However, I don't have mutual feelings for her. We're just friends."

Kurosaki sighed with relief. "How about this: if you don't find yourself a girlfriend and get married by the time you're thirty, then get hitched to her. You know; it's like a contract."

Just when he had it, Ichigo tried to interrupt the conversation when Hitsugaya replied, "No, I would much rather prefer to remain being a bachelor for the rest of my life than to marry someone I know I won't have any romantic feelings for. I hate living that kind of lifestyle."

The strawberry orange haired woman crossed her arms over her chest and let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, suit yourself."

Toshiro then let out a relieved sigh. Noticing Ichigo, he said, "Don't get the wrong idea, Kurosaki; it's not like I hate her. It's just...hard to picture her and I as a couple in that sense."

"It's alright Toshiro; I understand."

The white haired teenager shot an icy glare at him. "Don't get so familiar with me; it's Hitsugaya."

Rangiku finished the contents in her drink and let out a loud satisfying sigh. She quickly grabbed something from her carrying bag and slammed it onto the table for everyone to see. "Alright everyone, it's time to start on the main course of this party!"

"S-Sake?" everyone exclaimed.

"Matsumoto, I'm not letting you or anyone else to drink sake in this house!" Hitsugaya snapped. "Besides, you are underage!"

However, the strawberry orange haired woman didn't listen to his words. Instead, she opened the bottle and poured the contents into her glass. Leaving the bottle off to the side, she drank half of her drink.

"Oi, you're not even listening!"

"You're so stingy, Hitsugaya."

"Well, don't blame me if you end up getting a bad headache tomorrow morning. We have school."

She gave him a stern look. "Oi Hitsugaya," Renji said, getting his attention. "Stop spoiling all our fun."

"It can't be helped," Toshiro replied. "I'm being realistic here so that you guys don't cause a big mess. The last thing I want is to spend hours making this house clean again."

"Even though you say that, you only care about your sleep."

He shot her a glare. "Is there something wrong with getting enough sleep?"

Rangiku smiled. "Nope, there is no problem with that. Besides, you do need it. You're the shortest person in the group!"

"MATSUMOTO!"

"I would like to stay longer, but I have to go home now," Kira said while standing up from his seat. "My folks are waiting for me."

"Aw, so soon?" Orihime asked.

The pale blond haired teenager nodded with agreement. "Yeah."

Matsumoto placed her glass of sake on the table and folded her arms over her chest. "You're such a party pooper, Kira."

"I have to get going too," Hisagi added. "I have guitar classes to attend."

"You too, Shuhei!"

The short haired teenager stood up from his seat and began picking up his belongings with Izuru. Just as they are about to leave the living room, he replied, "Sorry Rangiku, but it can't be helped."

Toshiro stood up from his seat. "I'll lead you to the door."

"Thanks Hitsugaya."

Once the three students of Seireitei High left the room, Matsumoto took a moment to take another sip of her drink. "Mm, delicious!"

After finishing her drink, she grabbed the bottle and pour another serving of sake into her cup. "Oi Rangiku, Hitsugaya's right," Ichimaru said. "Do not overdo it or else I have to carry you home."

"What? You can't lift me?"

Gin let out a playful grin on his face.

"Yes, you're heavy." Without any warning, she started pulling him by the ear. During this time, Toshiro returned to the living room to find the two older students bickering with one another. "O-Ouch, Rangiku stop doing that!"

"Say sorry and then maybe I'll consider letting you go."

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

Hitsugaya then rolled his eyes. Suddenly, the phone started ringing. Hearing it, he walked over to the side and picked it up. Holding it against his ear, he answered, "Hello? Hitsugaya residence."

"Hey Lil'Shiro, I'm just checking up on how you're doing."

Toshiro turned around to see his friends talking with one another. "I'm doing fine and stop calling me Lil'Shiro. It's embarrassing, Okaa-san."

"Yosh, here's another toast!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"Eh, did just I hear Rangiku-chan?"

"Yeah, she invited herself over along with a bunch of friends from school again," Toshiro replied.

"Oh, she must be partying."

"Oh yeah, she is."

"I see."

Hitsugaya made a face. "Okaa-san, normal mothers should be scolding their children for breaking the rules of the house."

"Yes, but what's the point of doing that when Rangiku-chan keeps doing that to you?"

There is a short pause. "...True."

"You need to show her who is the man of the house!"

"Yeah, I tried that before. It didn't work."

"Oh...then, you lack manliness."

Naomi started laughing over the phone. Hitsugaya blushed. "Okaa-san!"

"Okay, I'll stop making fun of you."

All of a sudden, he heard a smashing noise.

"Oi Toshiro!" one of his friends called out. "Rangiku-san accidentally broke a few glasses."

Hitsugaya slapped a hand over his forehead. "I can't believe that woman! She must have become drunk!" he exclaimed. "I'm coming! Sorry Okaa-san, I have to hang up. Matsumoto has caused a mess in the house."

"Oh okay, I'll talk to you soon."

"Ja ne."

Toshiro hung up the phone. After putting it back where it belongs, he went to the kitchen to get a broom and dustpan. He also picked up a washcloth and a brown paper bag. He then joined his circle of friends to help clean up the mess.

"Sorry Toshiro-kun, we tried to stop her," Orihime apologized.

"It's alright," Hitsugaya replied. "I should have known something like this is going to happen."

In the meantime, Ichimaru and Ichigo carried the drunken woman to the sofa. Kurosaki asked, "Why does she have to cause so much trouble?"

"Who knows," Gin replied. "Try living under the same roof with her."

The younger teenager turned to the gray haired one. "You're one sad victim."

"Sad?" Ichimaru grinned. "I find living with her to be amusing."

Ichigo made a face. "You're weird..."

"I hear that a lot."

"Okay, everything is all cleaned up!" Inoue said.

"Thanks everyone," Hitsugaya said before he returned to the kitchen to put away all the cleaning materials and dump the paper bag of broken glass into the garbage.

"It's no problem," Rukia replied.

"Now that Rangiku-san ruined the party, we should call it for a day," Renji suggested.

Kuchiki nodded with agreement. "It's about time; besides, Nii-sama is probably wondering where I am right now."

Toshiro returned to the living room. "You guys are planning to leave?"

They nodded with agreement. "Thanks for having us over even though it was Rangiku-san who did the inviting," Orihime said.

"Let's go, Renji," Rukia said as she picked up her bag. "Oi Ichigo!"

Kurosaki picked up his bag and draped it over his shoulder. He turned to the black haired teenager and replied, "Okay, I'm leaving too!"

"Hey, who is going to help me carry Rangiku?" Ichimaru asked.

"Do it yourself," Ichigo said, walking past the older teenager. "Besides, you've done it before."

"Ah, that's so mean to say!"

Ignoring the gray haired genius, Hitsugaya and the others went to the front entrance to put on their footwear. Once she is done, Inoue said, "See you tomorrow at school, Toshiro-kun!"

"See you," he replied.

"Later," Renji said.

"Ja ne Hitsugaya," Rukia added.

"Bye Toshiro," Ichigo said.

One of Hitsugaya's eyes twitched. _"That bastard, when is it going to go through his head?" _

Then, he heard footsteps from behind. The white haired teenager turned around to see Ichimaru assisting the red faced Matsumoto to the door. She asked drowsily, "Oi, where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you home, that's what," he replied.

"Eh, but the party's not over yet!"

"Sorry Rangiku, but everyone is already gone."

"What? You mean they all went home? You're so mean, fox face!"

Ichimaru raised an eyebrow. "Fox face?"

She turned to Hitsugaya. "Hey snowball, please help me!"

Toshiro glared at her in response. "You're drunk, Matsumoto."

She laughed. "No, I'm not."

"Okay, okay!" Gin interrupted, pushing his friend towards the door. "Put on your shoes and let's head on out!"

"No way!"

"Come on Rangiku!"

"No!"

"You're such a baby."

"I am not!"

"Okay, your shoes are now on," Ichimaru said after forcing her to put on her footwear. He then pushed her outside. "Now, let's leave Hitsugaya alone to rest for the night."

"H-Hey!"

"Bye bye Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Oi!"

Once they are out, Toshiro closed and locked the door. Now that everyone is gone, it's time for him to have some time to himself. He returned to the living room to find the place a bit messy despite the minor clean up. He let out a defeated sigh. It's time for him to start working on his house chores.

After a long two hours of making the house all sparkly clean, Hitsugaya went to the kitchen to fix something quick to eat. He only ate a simple BLT sandwich. Once he is done, he spent some time watching television. Shortly after, he went to the washroom to brush his teeth. By the time he is done, he retreated to his bedroom and changed into his nighttime clothes.

He spent a few minutes getting everything ready for tomorrow's first day of the new semester. By then, he crawled into bed. When he is comfortable, he extended an arm out and set the alarm to go off at seven forty-five turned off the light which is on the night table. Once the room is dark, Toshiro lay down and draped his blanket over his shoulders. After letting out a soft yawn, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

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><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Kanpai**_ - Cheers, _**Obaa-san**_ - Grandmother, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, _**Uruse**_ - Shut Up, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Nii-sama**_ - Older Brother, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (casual/informal)

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Note to self: never let Matsumoto into your house. LOL What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned to my next update! Please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	4. Goodbye and Hello

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Miyako Hinamori, Tatsuya Hinamori, Kristina Smith, and Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **SCHOOL'S OUT! YAY! Now that I'm on summer vacation, I get to concentrate on more better things to do: write HitsuHina fan fictions! Woot! So, expect faster updates over the next four months. Anyway, thank you everyone for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **Crystal183, alana, Evertale, xXLolitaXx, anime16, applestoapples, KoKomimicHan, bengara-koushi, lol, ddddd, icyangel27, Hiroshi, becomeafan, azngurl113219, peachesandstrawberries, queen gaga, Anonymous, **and** cherry blossom**. Thanks for all your support!**  
><strong>

Message to**_ alana_: **Toshiro has his reasons for being a _neat freak _and_ boring_. It's actually related to what happened to him in the past. You just have to stay tuned and find out. Thanks for your review!

_Message to** applestoapples**_: Quite the interesting speculations you have come up with. Let's wait and see if you're right. Thanks for your review!

_Message to **Hiroshi**:_ Well, they're going to meet sometime later this chapter. So, stay tuned! Thanks for your review!

_Message to **peachesandstrawberries**_: You just have to wait and find out. Thanks for your review!

_Message to **cherry blossom**_: Oh, they'll meet...sometime later this chapter. So, read and find out! Thanks for your review!

Without any further adieu, here is chapter four. Enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." **PA Announcement.**  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Four:** Goodbye and Hello

The alarm rang, disrupting the peach girl from her sleep. She let out a small groan and turned her body to the side of the bed. Extending a hand out from under the blanket, she silenced the clock with a single push of a button. She slowly sat up and opened her eyes. After seeing that the room is dark, Hinamori looked over at her alarm clock to see that it is currently three o'clock in the morning. She placed a hand over her mouth and let out a yawn. "Oh yeah, today is the day where I leave America."

Looking over to the other side of the bed, she picked up Hyorinmaru. After embracing the stuffed dragon plush in her arms, she let out a joyful smile on her face.

"We're going back to reunite with Hitsugaya-kun in Japan!"

"Momo-chan, are you awake yet?" asked a voice from outside her bedroom.

"Yes, I'm coming Okaa-san!"

She pushed the blanket aside and jumped out of bed. Leaving the blue dragon on her desk, she took out a few clothes from her wardrobe and left the bedroom to take a quick shower in the washroom.

After a few minutes, Hinamori returned to the bedroom, all dressed up in a pair of dark blue jeans, a light blue T-shirt, and a purple hooded sweater. All she needs to do now is tie her hair up. She took her seat at the desk. Taking a mirror, a hairbrush, a hair tie, and a small blue cloth from the drawer, she began stylizing her raven coloured hair. Once she is done, she made sure that her hair has been stylized perfectly. She smiled. "It's perfect."

With that said, she left her seat. Taking her carrying bag and Hyorinmaru with her, she headed towards the door. Just as she is about to leave, Momo took one last look at her soon to be unoccupied bedroom. She let out a faint smile and left the bedroom, remembering to close the door behind her.

By the time she is downstairs, Hinamori found her parents and a familiar guest gathered in the kitchen. "Ohayo Oto-san, Okaa-san!" the fifteen year old teenager greeted. "Ah Kristina, you're here too!"

"Morning Momo," her blond haired friend replied. "Of course I'm here; I promised to see you off at the airport, remember?"

She nodded with agreement and turned to her parents. "Ohayo Momo-chan," Miyako said. "Take some cereal with you to the car; we need to head over to the airport right now. We need to be there three hours before your plane's planned take off."

"Okay."

Tatsuya grabbed his car keys from the kitchen counter on the side. "Alright everyone, let's get moving!"

Hinamori asked, stopping his father from leaving the kitchen, "Wait Oto-san, what about the rest of my luggage?"

"Don't worry; they're already loaded into the trunk of the car."

With that said, her father left the room. "Oh..."

"Let's go, Momo," Kristina said.

The raven haired girl quickly grabbed a cereal box from the shelf. "I'm coming!"

Following her mother and friend to the front entrance, Momo put on her shoes and stepped outside. Being the last person to leave the house, she closed and locked the door before going inside the car. After putting on her seat belt, she placed Hyorinmaru on her lap and cracked a happy smile. Miyako, who is sitting in the front passenger seat, turned around and asked, "Are you sure you have everything, Momo-chan?"

She nodded with agreement. "Yep, I'm ready to go!"

With a nod of agreement, Tatsuya inserted the car keys into the key hole and started the engine. After waiting for a minute, he turned the headlights on with a single switch. He then placed his right hand on the handle and set the car to drive. He carefully checked his surroundings and slowly drove out of the garage and onto the road. Once he looked both ways, he pressed the tip of his shoe against the gas and started the family drive to the airport.

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><p><strong><em>Attention please: the scheduled 7:30 flight on the U.S. Airlines to Japan is about to take off in thirty minutes. Passengers who need to aboard the plane needs to check in as soon as possible. Thank you.<em>**

"Oh my gosh, the time has finally come!" Kristina cried, embracing her friend in her arms. "You're going to leave us!"

"K-Kristina, I told you before," Momo said while patting her on the back, "We will meet again someday."

The two friends pulled apart. As the blond haired teenager is sniffling, she replied, "I-I thought I was ready for this, but i-it turns out that I'm not."

Hinamori smiled. "We'll always be friends."

She slowly nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes with her two index fingers. "Yes, we'll forever be friends."

Momo then turned to her parents. She walked up and hugged them both. "I'll miss you," Miyako said. "Take good care of yourself."

"I'll do my best, Okaa-san."

"If there is any problems, don't hesitate to call us," Tatsuya suggested. "I mean it; call us if there is _any _problem."

"Um..."

Without any warning, Miyako pinched one of his ears with her index finger and thumb. Pulling him towards her, she said, "Don't mind what your father said; I'm sure you'll be able to work out your problems with the help of Naomi-chan and Toshiro-kun."

"Ow Miyako-chan, s-stop it!" Tatsuya yelped. "I-It hurts!"

Hinamori slowly nodded. "Ah yeah..."

Miyako suddenly let go of Tatsuya's ear and placed her hands on her hips. "Now, you should go or else the plane is going to take off without you."

"H-Hai!"

Taking hold of the luggage handle, she began pulling it towards the terminal gate. Just as she is there, she stopped and took one final look at her family and friend. From this point on, she won't be able to see them as often anymore. She let out a soft smile. Extending her free hand up, she waved them a happy farewell.

"Bye Momo!" her friend called out.

"See you again soon, Momo-chan!" Miyako said.

"Wah, my sweet peach!" Tatsuya exclaimed. "Be careful during your stay in Japan!"

"I'll definitely come by to visit when I get the chance!" Hinamori said. "Until that happens, I'll see you soon: Oto-san, Okaa-san, Kristina!"

With that said she put her hand down and turned around. After checking in, she passed the terminal gate and boarded the plane. After taking her seat by the window, she looked out at the scenery. _"Fourteen hours; there are only fourteen hours left until I'll be able to see Hitsugaya-kun again."_

**_Attention all passengers: please fasten your seat belts. The plane is about to take off in two minutes._**

She did as she was told. Placing her elbow on the chair handle, she rested her chin on her hand. _"Right now, it's 7:30 in the morning. Over there, it's 8:30 at night. I wonder what he's doing."_

* * *

><p>After a long day of school and soccer practice, Hitsugaya arrived home late at night. As he is taking off his shoes at the front entrance, he heard a voice greeting him, "Welcome back Toshiro."<p>

_"Obaa-san came to visit."_ He put on his slippers and walked into the living room to find his elder sitting on the couch. He let out a soft smile and bowed to her. "Konbanwa."

"Konbanwa!" said another voice.

Recognizing who it is, he turned his attention to the emerald-teal eyed woman on the other side of the room. Placing a hand on his waist, he gave her a stern look. "Oi Okaa-san, I thought you were going on a business trip to Osaka for a few weeks."

"Yes Lil'Shiro," Naomi Hitsugaya replied, "but after receiving a phone call from an old friend, I just had to catch the next earliest train back here. There's so much to do around here!"

"Mom, I told you to stop calling me by that. I'm not a kid anymore. If you have already forgotten, I'm currently sixteen years old."

"Wow, you're sixteen already? Oh dear, time flies by so fast."

Toshiro let out a defeated sigh. "Anyway, what in the world are you talking about?"

"Tomorrow, my friend's daughter is coming here to live with us."

He raised an eyebrow. "Live with us?"

Naomi nodded with agreement. "Yep, she's around the same age as you. I know you two will get along well with one another."

Hitsugaya fixed the position of the strap on his shoulder, turned around, and began leaving the room. "Okay, whatever you say. I'll be in my room doing my homework."

"Remember to come down at eat something first! You must be starving right now."

"Hai."

Once he is gone, Naomi gripped tightly onto her broomstick and let out a high pitched squeal. "Ou, I can't wait for Momo-chan and Toshiro to reunite with one another!"

"If I remember correctly, they used to play with each other in the past," Obaa-san said.

Turning to see her mother in-law, she nodded with agreement. "Yes, they were really good friends back then. When they see each other again, I hope they will see each other in a different way."

"A different way?"

"This is the scenario I'm hoping that will happen: when those two meet each other, they will immediately fall in love. From there, they will become high school sweet hearts. Once they graduate and grow up a bit more, they will happily get married and raise adorable little HitsuHina children together!"

"Okaa-san, you're too noisy," Toshiro yelled from the kitchen. "How can I concentrate on studying for my test?"

"Oi Lil'Shiro, didn't I already tell you to not study while you're eating?" she scolded. "Multitasking is not good for one's health."

"Yes, but what am I supposed to do? It's an important test and I already spent too much time on soccer practice."

Naomi let out a defeated sigh. He can be so dedicated to his academic studies. Hopefully, Hinamori's arrival will be able to change that. Besides, he could use some improvement on his social skills. "Fine, I'll be a little quieter."

"Thank you."

She then turned to Obaa-san. "Do you think he heard my previous comment?"

The grandmother slowly shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Good," Naomi said. "If he knew who is going to stay with us, the surprise wouldn't be much of a surprise anymore."

"Oh Naomi, you're such a matchmaker."

"I know, but I can't help it. My son and Momo-chan are meant for one another; I just know it!"

Obaa-san suddenly placed a finger in between her lips. "Shh, Toshiro's studying."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot he is doing that," Naomi whispered. "Either way, I'm glad Momo-chan is coming back to Japan. I just wish that Miyako-chan and Tatsuya are able do the same."

"It can't be helped; those two have work."

The Hitsugaya female let out a sigh. "Yeah..."

There is a short moment of silence. All of a sudden, Naomi clapped her hands together.

"That reminds me; I need to start making preparations for the welcome party! Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day!"

"Okaa-san!" Hitsugaya shouted. "You're being noisy again!"

"I'm sorry Lil'Shiro!"

"Stop calling me Lil'Shiro; I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Yes, Lil'Shiro."

She heard her son's groan. Placing a hand over her mouth, she let out a giggle. "He's so cute whenever he does that."

Obaa-san just shook her head from side to side. Her daughter in-law can be so childish. "Oh Naomi..."

* * *

><p>The alarm clock suddenly rang causing the white haired teenager to stir in bed. He rolled over to the side and slowly extended an arm out. Then, he silenced the piece of technology with a single slam of his hand. After sitting up from bed, Toshiro stretched his arms up towards the ceiling as he yawned. Once he put his arms down, he got out of bed. As he walked towards the door, he picked up his school uniform (which has been resting on the chair) along the way. He stepped out of his bedroom and went inside the vacant washroom to take a quick shower.<p>

A few minutes later, he returned to his room all dressed in his clothes and his hair put up in its usual style. He grabbed his sports bag, placed the strap on his shoulder, and went downstairs to the kitchen. "Ohayo."

"Ohayo Toshiro," his grandmother greeted. "Breakfast is ready on the table."

With a simple nod, he walked over and sat on one of the chairs at the table. He put his bag down on the floor beside him. "Did you stay over last night, Obaa-san?"

"Yes, your mother and I cleaned up the house until eleven o'clock last night."

"Eleven o'clock? I was fast asleep by then." All of a sudden, a thought came into mind. He looked back and forth in search for something. Seeing that she is nowhere around, he asked, "Come to think of it, where is Okaa-san?"

"She went for a drive somewhere," she replied as she watched her grandson eat his food. "After she's done, she will stop by at the airport to pick up the guest."

"I see."

"Be sure to get along with her once you two meet, okay?"

"I'll try to be nice to her. I just hope she's not like Matsumoto."

Obaa-san cracked a smile. "I don't think so; she's quite the sweet girl."

It is when Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "Have you met her before?"

"Yes, I've seen her many times before. She and her family used to live around here before they moved to America."

He took a bite out of his food. "Oh..."

Hitsugaya looked over at the clock to check the time and realized it is time for him to start walking to school. He quickly ate the last of his meal and stood up from his seat. He gathered his empty plates and put them in the sink.

"Sorry, I have to go to school now."

"Alright then," Obaa-san said as she watched the white haired teenager pick up his bag and run out of the kitchen. "Have fun at school Toshiro."

"I'll be back home soon."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you for riding U.S. Airlines. I hope you have a great day. <em>**

Hinamori stepped out of the terminal with all her belongings. Standing in the middle of the crowd of people, the fifteen year old teenager took a moment to close her eyes and inhale some of the atmospheric air. After exhaling some carbon dioxide out, she reopened her eyes and said, "After ten years, I'm finally back home."

Remembering about her friend's winged dragon, she took out Hyorinmaru and began walking around with it in her arm.

"I wonder if he still recognizes me."

"Oi Momo-chan, is that you over there?" asked a voice.

Hearing her name being called out, she turned her body to the side to see a beautiful young woman with soft brown hair and bright emerald-teal eyes. She is waving at her. At first, Momo didn't recognize who she is. But after a brief moment of thinking, she remembered who the not so mysterious female is. Running up to her, she exclaimed, "Naomi-san!"

The two females reunited and greeted each other with a loving hug. "Oh my gosh, you sure have grown into quite the beautiful young lady since the last time I saw you!"

Hinamori blushed over the compliment. "A-Arigato. You don't look like you have aged over the years."

Naomi suddenly placed a hand on her cheek and said, "Oh really, you think so?"

She slowly nodded with agreement. "Ah yeah..."

The older female smiled. "You're so sweet, Momo-chan. Let's not stay here any longer and send you home. You must be tired after sitting in the plane for so long."

Momo nodded with agreement. "Hai."

"Here, let me help with the luggage."

With a nod, she let Naomi to pull her luggage. The two females started walking out of the airport. "Is Hitsugaya-kun at school right now?"

"Yep, he'll be home at around four o'clock. He doesn't have soccer practice today."

"So, he joined the soccer team after all."

"That's right; he always had a thing about the sport. It's most likely because of his father's influence."

Hinamori smiled at the comment. In her thoughts, he probably decided to join the team because of the suggestion she made a long time ago. "I see."

"I've got an idea! Why don't you pick him up at school?"

"Eh, are you sure about that?"

Naomi nodded with agreement. "I'm certain! Besides, it's not like he's hard to spot. He's the only person who has snowy white hair and gorgeous emerald-teal eyes."

Momo let out a hesitant laugh. What she said is true. In the past, she can always find her friend just by looking at his distinguishable feature: his hair colour. "Ah y-yeah..."

"So, what do you say?"

Hinamori smiled. "Sure, I don't mind picking him up later."

* * *

><p>"Here we are!" Naomi said. "Home sweet home!"<p>

When Momo got out of the car, the first thing she saw is the Hitsugaya residence. Even though it has been so long, she remembered the place to be the same as it was. While the female Hitsugaya is getting her luggage from the trunk, Hinamori noticed a medium sized tree planted in the middle of the grassy area. Realizing the type of fruit it is bearing, the raven haired girl walked up to it. Placing a hand on the tree trunk, she let out a soft smile. _"I'm back Tobiume."_

"Momo-chan!"

She turned around to see her guardian is at the door. "I'm coming Naomi-san!"

Removing her hand from the tree, she turned her body to the side and followed the older woman into the house. "Mother, I'm home!"

Obaa-san walked into the hallway from the living room to greet the two females. "Welcome home Naomi."

She then noticed the presence of the raven haired girl. The elder smiled. "It's to see you again, Momo. You sure have grown over the years."

Hinamori smiled and bowed to her. "Arigato Obaa-san; it's nice to see you again too."

"I'll show you to your room," the female Hitsugaya said. With a short nod, she followed her guardian upstairs. "If you don't remember, Toshiro's room is next door. He can help you whenever you need it."

Momo nodded. "Alright."

With that said Naomi placed her hand on the doorknob and opened the room for her to see. "This will be your room. Will you be alright unpacking your stuff on your own?"

She nodded her head again. "Don't worry Naomi-san; I think I can handle it from here."

"Okay, I'll be downstairs preparing lunch."

"Hai."

Once she watched the older woman goes back downstairs, Momo took her luggage and walked into her bedroom. After closing the door behind her, she left her luggage next to the bed. With Hyorinmaru in her arm, she lifted the winged dragon up into the air. Feeling happy, she spun around and fell onto the mattress and hugged the blue plush.

"After so long, I'm finally here." Hinamori smiled. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees me!"

* * *

><p>The school bell rung as students of Seireitei High are packing their belongings and leaving the premises. Classes are over for today and it's time for them to concentrate on other matters. "Oi Hitsugaya, wait up!"<p>

Hearing his name being called, Toshiro stopped walked and turned around to see his friends running after him. By the time they caught up, one of them asked, "Why are you in a rush to go home?"

"Okaa-san told me that I have to," he replied. "Apparently, a guest is staying over at my house."

The group of friends continued walking together. "Hn, really now?" Rangiku said. "That's rare especially for you."

Hitsugaya nodded with agreement. "Yes, it's rare. As a matter of fact, it is so rare that my mother even took some time off of work just to get ready for her arrival."

"Hn, she could be an important person," Kira suggested.

The white haired teenager shrugged his shoulders. "That is probably the case; she said our guest is her best friend's daughter."

"Daughter?" Hisagi asked.

"She's around our age."

All of a sudden, Matsumoto cracked a bright smile on her face. "I think I know what your mother is up to."

"What would that be?" Renji asked.

"She is setting up an arranged marriage for Hitsugaya."

Everyone stopped for a moment and exclaimed, "EH?"

Toshiro shot a glare at her. "She better not do that; she has already ruined my life the way it is."

"Yeah, but it's only a speculation."

He let out a low growl. "I know, but I get the feeling she would do that to me one way or another."

"Hitsugaya-kun!" called out a voice.

The sixteen year old teenager looked ahead to see the person who is calling him. It is a girl, who has her raven coloured hair tied up in a bun and brown eyes, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a light blue T-shirt, a purple hooded sweater, and a pair of brown shoes. She is waving happily at him.

As Toshiro raised an eyebrow, Kira found his heart suddenly skip a beat. _"She's cute..."_

"Do you know her, Toshiro-kun?" Orihime asked.

"...Not that I know of," he replied.

Seeing there is nothing wrong with finding out, he and his friends walked up to her. When they are close enough, the peach girl took a moment to hug him. The action surprised him; however, it didn't compare to what she did next. She kissed him on the cheek. At that moment, her action broke Izuru's heart. As for the others, they just stood dumbfounded. She joyfully said, "It's so nice to see you again, Hitsugaya-kun!"

He blinked a few times before he pulled away from the girl. After placing a hand on his cheek, he asked, "Oi, what was that about and who are you?"

The younger teenager let out a giggle. "You're so silly; I'm Momo Hinamori, remember? I'm the girl you promised to be your wedded wife in the future!"

All of a sudden, there is a brief pause from everyone.

"WHAT?"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Ohayo**_ - Good Morning, _**Oto-san**_ - Father, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Obaa-san**_ - Grandmother, _**Konbanwa**_ - Good Evening,_** Arigato**_ - Thank You

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **After ten long years, they're finally together. What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned and find out in my next update! Please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	5. Future Wife?

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own is Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone, I'm back with another update! Thank you for all your patience especially my awesome reviewers: **azngurl113219, Crystal183, becomeafan **_(x2)_**, anime16, icyangel27, Evertale, toshiko-san21, Desiree, bengara-koushi, tanithhh, Anonymous, queen gaga, KoKomimicHan, lol, Ebbie54, peachesandstrawberries, **and **ddddd. **Without any further adieu, here is chapter five. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." **Flash Back.**  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Five:** Future Wife?

Ichimaru suddenly let out an amused grin. "Now this is getting interesting..."

"No way Toshiro, you made a promise like that?" Ichigo exclaimed.

Without any warning, Matsumoto elbowed her white haired friend in the gut. In reaction, he placed a hand over his side and shot a glare at her. However, she didn't notice. She happily said, "You sneaky little brat, who would have thought you had it in you?"

"Congratulations Hitsugaya-kun," Gin said.

"Be sure to invite me to your wedding when it happens."

"Hold it right there!" Toshiro exclaimed. "First of all, I don't remember making a promise like that."

He then pointed a finger at the raven haired teenager.

"Next, I don't even remember who this girl is!"

Hearing him say that caused Momo to place a hand over her mouth and gasp. It is only a matter of seconds before her eyes started to water. "Y-You really don't remember making that promise?" Hinamori asked. "I remember it; we made it on the day I moved away to America. It was about ten years ago when it happened."

Realizing what he just said, Rangiku quickly took hold of Toshiro's hand and pulled him away from the group. Once they are separated, she let go of him and placed her hands on her hips. She gave him a serious look. In response, Hitsugaya glared back. "What?"

"What is wrong with you?" the older teenager finally asked. "You seriously don't remember making that promise?"

The young genius let out a defeated sigh. He explained, "If what she said is true, then I was a kid back when I made it! I didn't know any better than to make hollow promises like that!"

"I don't care. You go back in there and make her happy!"

"What?" Hitsugaya asked. "Why should I do that?"

"You hurt her feelings; that's why. She waited for ten long years to see you again and fulfill the promise you made!"

"Why do you believe her? What if she's making up stories so that she can get close to me?"

Rangiku folded her arms over her chest and took a quick glance at the raven haired teenager before resuming her attention to him. "I don't think she looks like the type who would lie."

Toshiro gave her a stern look. "Your logic doesn't make any sense. Just because she doesn't look like the type who would do that, it doesn't mean she is trustworthy."

"Anyway, you're the one who is at fault!"

"Oi!"

As Matsumoto continued to scold the young genius, Momo placed her hands over her face and started crying. Concerned for the peach girl, Kira approached and started comforting her. They are soon joined by the others. Izuru asked, "A-Are you alright?"

Hinamori raised her head and slowly shook her head. "No, not really; I-I just can't believe he would forget me despite him saying that he wouldn't."

"It's alright," Rukia said. "I don't think Hitsugaya means to do that to you."

"Kuchiki-san is right," Inoue said. "I'm sure there's a solution to this."

During this time, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto returned to the group of friends. Noticing that the peach girl is drowning in tears, Rangiku pushes Toshiro ahead. When he looked over his shoulder, he gave her a mild glare. She wanted him to do something about it. Returning his attention to the raven haired teenager, he let out a sigh. "Listen, I-I'm sorry I couldn't remember you or the promise we made. So, if you could just stop crying and explain...the things we've done together when we were younger? Maybe that could help me remember."

Hinamori sniffled and looked up at him. "Are you sure you would want to listen to me? You don't have to if you don't want."

He then turned his attention to Rangiku. With her shooting a glare at him, he knows that she wants him to work something out with Momo. "It's alright; I'll listen. It's just...let's talk somewhere outside the school premises."

The younger teenager wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and nodded with agreement. "Okay."

* * *

><p>As everyone is walking through the streets, they listened to Hinamori several stories of her and Hitsugaya when they were younger. Because their parents are close friends with one another, they often visit each others' places and play together. Unfortunately, Toshiro was not able to recall any of those times. Matsumoto suddenly asked, "So, do you remember now?"<p>

He gave the older teenager a look. By the time he noticed Momo looking at him, he turned his head away and mumbled, "Sorry, but I can't recall any of those moments."

"Oh..." Hinamori cracked a smile. "It's okay. I'm sure you'll remember soon enough."

"Ah yeah..."

There was silence between them because things have become very awkward.

"So, where are you staying right now?" Kira suddenly asked.

When she turned to the pale blond haired teenager, she replied, "I'm staying at Hitsugaya-kun's place."

"...What?" Toshiro questioned.

She slowly nodded with agreement.

"Oh, so you're the person my mother was talking about."

"Are...you okay with that?"

Hitsugaya let out a defeated sigh. "It can't be helped."

"I see."

"Well, this is where we have to go our separate ways," Hisagi said. "It's nice meeting you."

"Same here."

"Hitsugaya, you better not treat her badly," Matsumoto said.

"Shut up!" he retorted.

"Bye bye!" Gin replied.

"Later," Renji said.

Ichigo waved a short farewell. "See you, Toshiro."

"See you tomorrow, Toshiro-kun!" Orihime called out.

"Ja ne Hitsugaya," Kira said. "See you, Hinamori-kun."

"Bye," Momo said.

By the time they are on their own, Hitsugaya let out a sigh. Once he started walking again, he said, "Let's go."

"Ah yeah."

* * *

><p>"I'm home!"<p>

"Welcome back," Naomi greeted as she watched the two teenagers take off their shoes. "Ah, I see that you two have met with each other."

"Yes, I'll be in my room if you need me," Toshiro said as he walked past the older Hitsugaya and went upstairs.

Realizing where he is going, she turned around and called out to him. "Oi Lil'Shiro!"

After hearing the sound of a door open and shut, she let out a defeated sigh. She turned her attention to Hinamori. "So Momo-chan, how was your reunion with Toshiro?"

The fifteen year old let out a soft smile. "He doesn't remember me."

"Eh, he doesn't?"

She lowered her head and slowly nodded. "Yeah..."

"Oh, um...do-"

"I want to go to my room for a bit."

"O-Okay."

With that said, Momo walked past the older woman and went upstairs. Naomi sighed. Why did things have to end up like this? It is when Toshiro came downstairs, all dressed in a pair of gray pants and a black T-shirt. Just as he is about to go into the kitchen, the mother of the Hitsugaya household took hold of his wrist and pulled him aside. "Oi, what in the world are you doing?"

Once she let go, she placed her hands on her hips. She asked, "Okay Toshiro Hitsugaya, what did you do to Momo-chan?"

The white haired teenager gave her a look. "Don't tell me you're upset too."

"Yes, I am. Now spill the beans, mister!"

"I didn't do anything! All I did was made her cry after telling her that I couldn't remember her."

Without any warning, she smacked him on the back of his head. "Ouch!"

Toshiro placed a hand on the back of his head, gently rubbing the minor pain.

"What was that for?"

Naomi turned away from her son and placing her hands together. As she got down on her knees and pleaded to the heavens, she asked, "Oh dear heavens! What did I do wrong to deserve this? I've spent the last sixteen years, trying to raise my perfect son to become a young gentleman for his future wife. When the time has finally come, he just treated her with disrespect and disloyalty!"

Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, holding back the urge to snap at her. _"Why am I related to her?"_

Using this opportunity, he walked to the kitchen to take a look in the refrigerator. Noticing a plate of freshly slice watermelon, he let out a content smile. Just as he is about to reach for it, something grabbed onto the back of his collar and pulled him away. With that done, she closed the fridge door. "Oh no, you're not getting any watermelon."

"What now, Okaa-san?"

"I'm very upset with you," Naomi said. "How could you forget her like that?"

"It can't be helped!" he snapped. "It has been ten years since we last saw each other. What did you expect?"

"Yeah, but you should at least remember some of the things you've done together when you were younger. How can you forget two years worth of memories with her?"

"I-I don't know!"

Unable to take it much long, he threw his hands up into the air and started marching out of the kitchen. The older Hitsugaya called out to him, "Oi Toshiro, I'm not done talking to you!"

He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "I'm going outside to take a short walk."

Naomi followed him to the front door. "Oi, don't you dare run away from me!"

Quickly putting on his shoes, he unlocked and opened the door. Ignoring her words, he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya!"

Letting out a frustrated growl, she folded her arms over her chest. She soon closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh. By the time she reopened them, she started wondering to herself, "I wonder he has forgotten about Momo-chan because of that incident."

* * *

><p>Hinamori let out a sigh as she laid in bed. After all her efforts to return to her home country and see her old friend again, she finds out that he has completely forgotten about her. She was heartbroken to hear him say those words.<p>

**_"Sorry, but I can't recall any of those moments."_**

Noticing Hyorinmaru sitting on the side, she extended her hand out and took hold of its arm. After pulling the blue dragon close, she hugged it. "He probably doesn't remember you either, Hyorinmaru."

She sigh again and sat up. Leaving the safety of her bed, she walked over to the window to look at the peach tree outside.

She placed a hand on the glass and wondered, "Does that mean he has forgotten about you too, Tobiume?"

Feeling that her tears are about to roll down her cheeks, her hand turned into a fist while her head tilted forward.

"Maybe coming back here is not such a good idea after all."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (informal/casual), _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Poor Momo. Hopefully, things will get better in the later chapters. There's only one way to find out: stay tuned for my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	6. Starting Over

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own is Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Phew, I managed to finish this chapter on time. Anyway, thank you everyone for all your patience and a very special thanks to my wonderful reviewers: **anime16, becomeafan, azngurl113219, icyangel27, MoonLightView, Reader-Favs, fayfan, NeonCookies O.o, KiRsH KiRsH, bengara-koushi, queen gaga, Evertale, Anonymous, lol, ying fa, peachesandstrawberries, Crystal183, silhoutte,** and** cherry blossom**. Without any further delays, here is chapter six of The Faithful Promise. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Six:** Starting Over

Toshiro and Naomi were eating breakfast in the kitchen when they suddenly heard a loud yell coming from upstairs. Concerned, the female Hitsugaya called out, "Momo-chan, is everything alright up there?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay!" she hollered.

At that moment, Hitsugaya put his chopsticks down on his rice bowl. After standing up from his seat, he began gathering all the empty plates and bowls together. Picking them up with his two hands, he left the table to put the dishes into the sink. He turned on the tap water and applied some soap into the sponge and began washing them clean.

Hinamori then entered the room, all dressed in her school uniform. She is panting with exhaustion. "I overslept."

Naomi smiled. "Well, at least you managed to get ready quickly. Now, you can walk with Toshiro to school."

The older woman then turned her attention to her son.

"Lil'Shir-" Wondering where he suddenly wandered off to, she looked to her right to see him leaving the kitchen with his bag draped over his shoulder. "Oi Lil'Shiro, wait up for a moment! You need to walk with Momo-chan to school!"

Hitsugaya stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. He gave her a stern look. "She knows how to get there on her own," he answered. "So, there is no need for me to walk her to school. If she ends up getting lost in the school building, she can always ask the other students or teachers for directions."

With that said, he left his mother and Hinamori in the kitchen together. Naomi folded her arms over chest and let out a defeated sigh. Turning to the raven haired girl, she apologized, "I'm sorry; Toshiro's isn't usually like this."

"It's okay Naomi-san," the peach girl replied. "Besides, he does have a point. Yesterday, I managed to find my way to school on my own. So, there shouldn't be any problems that come up while I'm going there today."

"Are you sure you can handle this on your own?"

Momo smiled and nodded with agreement. "Hai."

She sighed with defeat. "Okay, but just in case something happens, I'll give you Toshiro's cell phone number so that you can contact him."

"Are you sure it's okay for you to do this without him knowing?"

"Don't worry; it happens all the time especially with the group of friends he associates with."

_"For some reason, I can imagine that." _

"Hurry up and eat something; besides, it's not good to work on an empty stomach."

* * *

><p>"Oh no, class is about to start soon and I still haven't found my way to the principal's office," Momo said while walking through the hallway of Seireitei High. She looked around to see if anyone can be of help to her. However, she is too intimidated to approach them. <em>"Mou, what should I do?" <em>

All of a sudden, she stopped walking.

"I know; I should call Hitsugaya-kun. He should be here in the school by now."

She took out her cell phone from her school bag. Just as she is about to press the buttons to his cell phone number, she froze.

_"Maybe I shouldn't ask him."_ She let out a defeated sigh._ "Besides, we're...not really friends anymore."_

"Hinamori-kun, is that you?" asked a voice.

Hearing her name being called, she turned around to see the pale blond haired teenager walking up to her. She thought to herself, _"He's one of Hitsugaya-kun's friends." _

She turned around and smiled at him.

"Hey, um sorry...I forgot your name."

"Izuru Kira."

"Ah, that's right; hey Kira-kun."

"I didn't know you're attending this school."

"Yeah, Hitsugaya-kun's mother sort of organized this without me knowing."

"I see," Izuru said. "Are you having trouble finding your way around?"

The peach girl slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I need to go to the principal's office so that I can find out which homeroom class I'm going to be in."

"I can lead you there."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Don't worry about me; there's still some time left before the school bell rings."

She smiled at him. "Arigato."

"Let's go."

"Hai."

Together, the two teenagers started walking down the hallway. "Shouldn't Hitsugaya be helping you with this?"

"I-I wanted to figure out on my own," she suddenly lied. "Besides, he and his mother have already done so much for me. I don't want to be dependent on them."

"I see."

"Is...What I'm doing wrong?"

"Ah, no...There's nothing wrong with that," Izuru quickly replied. "I think it's a good thing because...i-it will be useful when you grow up."

She smiled. "I think so too."

"Well, here we are."

The two newly made friends stopped in front of the principal's office. "Thanks again, Kira-kun."

"It's no problem; I guess...I'll see you soon. Hopefully, you'll be in the same class as Hitsugaya, Abarai-kun, and myself."

Momo nodded. "We'll see what happens."

With a short nod and a friendly wave, Kira left the raven haired girl to go to his homeroom class.

"Kira-kun's a nice person," Hinamori said. "I'm glad to see that Hitsugaya-kun has made a good friend like him...just like I did when we became friends ten years ago. I wish he has never forgotten about me in the first place."

* * *

><p>"Yo Kira, what took you so long?" Renji asked as he watched his comrade took his seat at his desk beside him. "You never come to class this late."<p>

"I know, but I had to help Hinamori-kun find her way to the principal's office," Izuru replied.

Hearing the peach girl's name, Hitsugaya (who is sitting nearby) turned his attention to his fellow classmates and listened attentively to the conversation. "Hinamori's at school? Does that mean she's going to be attending school here?"

Kira nodded with agreement. "That's what she told me."

The red headed teenager leaned back against his chair and folded his arms over his chest. "Hn, really now? Then, there's a possibility that she's going to be our classmate."

"Yeah."

"Come to think of it..." He turned his attention to the white haired teenager. Once he realized what the taller teenager is looking in his direction, Toshiro quickly gazed away from them. "Shouldn't you be the one who guides Hinamori around the school?"

The genius of class 2-1 pretended that he didn't hear Renji's question.

"Oi Hitsugaya, didn't you hear me?"

Again, he didn't answer causing the red headed teenager to frown.

"He's definitely in a bad mood. I'm guessing his mother asked him the same question I just asked."

Kira slowly nodded with agreement. "I think so too."

He turned to Toshiro.

"Hitsugaya, even though you and Hinamori-kun aren't in good terms with one another, it doesn't mean that you have to give her the cold shoulder. There is no reason to treat her like the other girls. She's not like that."

"Kira has a point," Abarai agreed. "Why don't you forget about getting hitched to her in the future and start on a clean slate? From there, you can decide whether you want to get married to her or not."

After a few moments of silence, Hitsugaya let out a defeated sigh. Just as he is about to reply back, their teacher entered the classroom. "Alright everyone, please take your seats and settle down. We have a lot of course material to cover this morning."

As the unseated students are doing as they are told, the instructor stood in front of the class.

"But before I get to any of that, I have an announcement to make. We have a new student who will be joining us from this day on." At that moment, the side door opened. Once the students turned their heads, they became aware of the presence of a raven haired girl who is dressed in the classic school uniform. "This is Momo Hinamori."

When Hitsugaya noticed her, his eyes slightly narrowed. _"So, she's in my class."_

Hinamori bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Please make her feel welcome during her stay here, okay?" the teacher said.

"Hai sensei!" most of the students replied.

"Hinamori, you can take the empty seat next to Hitsugaya."

Momo slowly nodded with agreement and went to her seat. By the time she sat down, the peach girl turned her attention to Toshiro. She wanted to talk to him, but judging from the expression on his face, he doesn't want to get distracted from the lesson. She sighed and listened attentively to the teacher's lecture.

* * *

><p>"Hey Hinamori-kun, do you want to join us for lunch?" Kira asked.<p>

"Sure, why not?" Momo replied.

"Yo Hitsugaya," Renji called to the white haired teenager, who is gathering his belongings. "Are you going to join us?"

"I have some business to take care during lunch time," he replied. "I'll join you next time."

"Alright then, if you're done early, we're at the usual spot."

Toshiro stood up from his seat and gave the younger teenager a nod. After draping his bag over his shoulder, he left the classroom. Abarai then stood up and turned his attention to Izuru and Momo. "Let's head to the rooftop. I'm starving."

With nods of agreement from the other two teenagers, they all left the classroom and made their way to the roof.

"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Renji Abarai."

"Momo Hinamori," the peach girl replied. "It's nice to meet you. Have you two been friends with Hitsugaya-kun for a long time?"

"Well, we only knew him since middle school," Kira replied. "If I remember correctly, Matsumoto-san and Ichimaru-san are the people who known him the longest amongst all of us."

"I see."

"Speaking about them, there they are sitting at the usual spot," Abarai said.

Momo turned her attention to the front to see the three older teenagers she met yesterday. Izuru replied, "Hisagi-san is with them too. I guess he doesn't have to go to the newspaper club today."

"I suppose so..."

"Ah, hey you guys!" Matsumoto said, waving at her companions. "What took you so long to get here?"

They approached their seniors. Kira replied, "We decided to show Hinamori-kun around the school."

"Hinamori?" Then she became aware of Momo's presence. "Oh, Hinamori! So, you're the new student that just transferred here."

Momo nodded with agreement. "Um yeah..."

"Sit down! Sit down! Have a seat with us!" Rangiku said. "I'm just glad that Kira and Renji invited you to have lunch with us."

The three students of class 2-1 sat down with the others.

"Oh dear, where are my manners? We haven't properly introduced ourselves." She placed a hand over her chest and said, "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto and the person next to me is Shuhei Hisagi."

"It's nice meeting you," the short haired teenager said.

Momo nodded with agreement. "Who is the other person beside you?"

Matsumoto then looked at her childhood friend before resuming her attention to her. She folded her arms over her chest and replied, "Oh, he's nobody."

"Hey Rangiku," Ichimaru said. "That's mean to say about me."

"Oh, shut up Gin."

He then turned his attention to Momo. "I'm Gin Ichimaru; it's a pleasure to meet you, Hinamori-chan."

She nodded with agreement. "Ah, same here."

"Come to think of it, where are Ichigo, Rukia, and Inoue?" Renji asked, looking around. "They should be up here by now."

"They went to the cafeteria to buy their lunches," Hisagi replied. "They'll be back soon."

"Oh..."

"Speaking about missing people, where is Hitsugaya?" Rangiku asked.

"He said he has business to take care of during lunchtime," Abarai said. "He won't be joining us for lunch today."

"Well, I just hope he didn't say that because he doesn't want to hang out with Hinamori. Even if he doesn't remember her, I'm certain that they will get along just fine."

"That's what you said about everyone else in the group," Ichimaru pointed out.

"I know; I'm a good judge of one's character." She turned to Momo and draped an arm over her shoulder. After pulling her close, she said, "Don't lose hope with that dream of yours, Hinamori. I'm sure Hitsugaya will realize his faults and apologize to you. With a bit of luck, you two will become friends again and eventually, the fated lovers you're meant to be."

The peach girl blushed. "Um, thanks..."

Matsumoto smiled. "Call me Rangiku."

"Ah hai, Rangiku-san."

"Let's not wait any longer for the others," Renji said. "It's time to eat!"

"Itadakimasu!"

* * *

><p>The school bell rung throughout the premises as most students are packing their belongings, getting ready to head on home. As for the others, they are either on their way to their after school activities or already leaving the school. "Hitsugaya, wait up!"<p>

Toshiro stopped and turned around to see Izuru and Momo catching up to him. Once they did, they took a moment to catch their breaths.

"You sure are in a hurry to go home."

The white haired teenager then looked over at the direction where his house is located. He then resumed his attention to his pale blond haired companion. "No, I'm not in a hurry especially not today," Hitsugaya replied. "Besides, I don't want to deal with my mother. She is probably at home expecting me to walk her home."

Kira cracked a faint smile and looked at Momo. He then turned to Toshiro. "Let's walk home together."

"You don't have to do that," Hinamori said.

"It's alright; besides, my house is a few blocks after Hitsugaya's place. So, I'll be dropping you guys off."

"Oh, I see."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at Kira. After a short while, he shrugged and continued walking. "Do what you want."

He then turned to the peach girl. Izuru said, "Let's go, Hinamori-kun."

With a short nod, she followed the other two teenagers all the way home.

* * *

><p>"We're home!" Momo greeted as she and Toshiro entered the house.<p>

"Welcome back Lil'Shiro and Momo-chan!" Naomi replied as she entered the hallway to see them. "How is school today?"

"It's great!" she replied as she and Hitsugaya are taking off their shoes. "I've made a lot of new friends!"

She smiled. "That's good to hear."

Once he changed to his slippers, Toshiro gave his mother a stern look. "Stop calling me, Lil'Shiro. I'm sick and tired of you calling me that all the time."

"Now Toshiro, please don't act that way especially in front of our gues-" Ignoring his mother, he walked past her. She turned around and called out to him, "Oi, Toshiro Hitsugaya, don't you dare turn your back against me!"

He walked up the stairs.

"Stop right there, mister!" He stopped and glanced down at Naomi. "You seriously need an attitude adjustment! If you don't clean up your act by tomorrow morning, you're seriously going to get one hell of a lecture from me! Do you hear me, Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and continued his way upstairs.

"Oi Toshiro!"

He opened, entered his bedroom, and slammed the door behind him. After standing in his room for a few seconds, the young prodigy lowered his head and let out a defeated sigh. He wanted to apologize to Momo for being mean to her. However, no thanks to the interferences of his mother and his friends, they got him in a bad mood. As a result, it caused him to snap more easily. On a regular basis, he would use this type of attitude to push away stuck up girls, who try to get close to him.

Then again, he's not good with getting along with girls (with the exception of Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia). He barely has any idea how to deal with them because they're just plain confusing to understand. He placed a hand over his forehead and shook his head. He'll try again some other time.

He quickly got changed to his casual clothes and unpacked his books at his work desk. Once he took his seat, he picked up his pencil and started to work on his assigned homework for today. However, it didn't take long for him to get distracted. He stopped and looked at a picture frame that is sitting on the side. Putting his writing utensil down for a moment, he picked up the frame and stared at it. After a few long moments, he put it back down and sighed with defeat.

* * *

><p>The female Hitsugaya sighed with defeat and crossed her arms over her chest. Now, she's certain of the main reason for his recent actions. It is a result from <em>that <em>event. "Naomi-san, has Hitsugaya-kun always acted like this since I left?"

In response to Momo's concerned voice, she turned around to see the raven haired girl. "Actually, he wasn't that way at first. However, after a certain event, he completely changed."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Let's have some tea first before I start explaining the whole story, okay?"

Hinamori slowly nodded with agreement. "Ah hai."

The two females walked into the kitchen and prepared tea and cookies. After eating and drinking at the dinner table, Naomi said, "Don't get the wrong idea; he didn't change the way he was because you left his life. He has changed because of what happened after you left. Hours later after you left for America, Toshiro lost his father."

Momo placed a hand over her mouth and gasped. "Oh no, what happened to Hitsugaya-san?"

"He was shot to death."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Hai**_ - Yes,_** Arigato**_ - Thank You,_** Sensei -**_ Teacher, _**Itadakimasu**_ - Let's Eat**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **O.o Gasp! What happened on that dreadful day? Well, you just have to stay tuned to my next update to find out. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	7. The Forgotten Day

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own are Satoshi Hitsugaya and Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another update! Thank you for all your patience especially my awesome reviewers: **becomeafan, anime16, Evertale, icyangel27, peachysnowFan, fayfan, Crystal183, KoKomimicHan, MoonLightView, Desiree, sabrina, peachesandstrawberries, lol, **and **queen gaga**.**  
><strong>

_Message to **lol**:_ Hehe, if I were to make Hitsugaya jealous of Kira, it would happen in the later chapters when Hitsugaya's relationship with Hinamori improves. xD But anyway, thanks for your review!

Without any further delay, here is chapter seven. Enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Long Flash Back. **Short Flash Back. **  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Seven:** The Forgotten Day

**_Ten Years Ago..._**

_"Please don't forget me."_

_He gave her a stern look. "What makes you think I'm going to forget a Bed-Wetter like you?"_

_The peach girl let out a pout before she looked away, trying to hide the blush on her face. She slowly said, "Maybe when we see each other again, we might become even closer friends than now possibly to the point we might...decide to spend the rest of our lives together."_

_Hitsugaya then shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose..."_

_Her face suddenly lightened up. "You really mean it?"_

_He nodded. "It's not like I hate you or anything."_

_Happy to hear him say those words, she walked up to him and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Surprised by her action, he placed hand on where her mark is and asked, "W-What was that about?"_

_"A faithful promise has been made between you and I. I'll make sure to remember and keep it. As for you, you better do the same."_

_The car started honking. "Um, sure...whatever you say."_

_"I'll see you again someday, Hitsugaya-kun."_

_"Oi, it's Hi-" Her words sudden dawned to him. "Wait, you called me by my last name."_

_After showing him one last warm smile, she turned around to go inside the car. Watching her from the back window, he saw her take out his dragon plush for him to see. She then started waving him good bye. In response, he raised his hand up and did the same._

_He whispered, "See you soon..."_

* * *

><p>Satoshi Hitsugaya entered the kitchen to find his beloved wife standing in front of the counter, slicing vegetables for tonight's family meal. He looked around the room, but a certain child of theirs is absent. "Naomi-chan, have you seen Toshiro anywhere?"<p>

She stopped for a moment and glanced over her shoulder. She replied to her husband, "He's in the front yard right now, planting Momo-chan's peach tree."

"I see; I'll go see him."

Naomi smiled and nodded. She watched her love leave the kitchen. She let out a content sigh and continued preparing dinner as Satoshi went outside to see what his young one is up to. Hitsugaya sat in the middle of the grassy yard, struggling to pour dirt into the recently planted tree with a large shovel. All of a sudden, he lost his balance and fell backwards onto the grass. "Ouf."

He placed a hand on his behind and numbed the lingering pain.

"Ouch, that hurts..."

Then, he heard a chuckle. Hitsugaya glanced over his shoulder to see his father standing behind him. "You sure did a fine job planting that tree, Toshiro."

The white haired boy looked at the peach tree and raised an eyebrow. Judging from the way it looks right now, he didn't do a really great job with planting it properly. It's standing on one side. He resumed his attention to the older Hitsugaya and replied, "Well, I don't think I did. It looks a bit...weird."

He placed a hand on his waist and took another look at the tree. He grinned with amusement. "Even though what you said is true, for a child your age, you've a done a decent job on your own."

Satoshi placed a hand on Toshiro's head and brushed his hair from side to side. The young Hitsugaya raised his head and smiled.

"Let me handle the rest of the work, okay?"

Toshiro happily nodded. He patiently watched his father fix the position of the tree and fill the hole with dirt (using a shovel). Once he's done, Satoshi took a moment to wipe some sweat off his forehead using his wrist.

"Boy that was hard work. All we need to do now is give it some water."

It is when Hitsugaya got on his feet. "I'll go get the watering can from the garage!"

Seeing his son hurriedly run towards the garage, Satoshi placed the shovel on one side of his shoulder and followed the active boy. "Oi Toshiro, slow down! You might accidentally trip your foot over something and fall down!"

The six year old boy glanced over his shoulder and reassured his parent, "Don't worry; I'll be carefu-Ouch!"

Realizing that his son has suddenly fallen to the ground, he called out his name, "Toshiro!"

Hitsugaya sat up and checked his arms and legs for any injuries. Luckily, he only gained some minor scratches. He said, "I-I'm okay! It's nothing se-serious!"

Satoshi merely shook his head. Kids these days don't understand the dangers of what they're doing. He walked up to his son and helped him get back on his feet. He inspected the scratches and then brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Be careful next time, okay?"

"Yes Dad."

Together, they went into the garage to carry out the watering can and fill it with some water using the outdoor faucet. After that, they returned to the peach tree. Satoshi watched Toshiro water the plant on his own. Once he is done, he put the watering can down on the grass before looking at Tobiume. Moments later, he lowered his head and sighed with defeat. "What's wrong, son?"

"...I miss her."

The Hitsugaya father let out a soft smile, feeling sorry for the boy. Even though it has been only about three hours since she and her family left for America, Toshiro already feels lonely. He placed a hand on the young child's shoulder, getting his attention. He suggested, "Why don't we go shopping for a bit? I'll buy that brand new soccer ball you wanted to replace for your old one."

All of a sudden, his face lightened up. "Really?"

Satoshi nodded with agreement. "That's right; do you want to go?"

"Of course!"

"Then, what are we waiting here for?" he asked. "Let's go back inside and tell your mother about it."

"Hai!"

* * *

><p>"Okay Toshiro, let's see what you've got!"<p>

With a grin on his face, Hitsugaya dribbled the newly bought soccer ball across the field. Seeing that his father is leaving his stationary position, he used this opportunity to make his move. Just as he is about a few centimeters away from colliding with the older Hitsugaya, he changed direction and went around him.

"You're not getting away that easily!"

Hitsugaya glanced over his shoulder to see Satoshi chasing after him. "We'll see about that!"

By the time he resumed his attention to the front; he stopped and lifted a leg back. With all his strength, he kicked the ball into the net. He punched his fist into the air and cheered.

"Yay, I scored again!"

Satoshi chuckled with amusement, walking up to his child. "I was only going easy on you."

Toshiro stopped and frowned at his father. "I know," he replied. "Can't you go at full strength for once?"

"If I were to do that, you would lose all the time."

"That may be true right now, but in a few years, I'll completely surpass you!"

"Oh, really now?" He scooped his son from the ground and carried him on his shoulder. "Then I should take that as a challenge, right?"

Hitsugaya hugged his father and grinned. "Yep!"

Satoshi took a moment to look at his wrist watch. "My my, look at the time! We better go home now or else your mother is going to give us one hell of a lecture."

As he put Toshiro back on the ground, the six year old boy giggled. "Yeah."

The white haired man placed a hand on his head and ruffled through his hair. "Come on."

With a short nod, Hitsugaya ran over to the net to pick up his soccer ball. After returning to his father's side, they started their walking journey home. "I wonder what Okaa-san made for dinner."

"Hn, it's probably your favourite."

"Watermelon?"

Satoshi chuckled. "No, that's for dessert. It's probably fried fish, steamed vegetables, and rice."

Toshiro licked his lips. "Mmm, just thinking about it makes me starving."

"Me too."

All of a sudden, someone passed by them and roughly pushed Satoshi into the telephone booth. "Oto-san!"

Just as Hitsugaya is running to his father's side, something wrapped around his body and lifted him off the ground. He dropped his soccer ball on the ground in the process as he struggled to break free. However, the grip on him is too strong. In the meantime, Satoshi is recovering from the fall. "Ouch, that hurts..."

"Ah, let me go!"

Hearing his son's voice, Satoshi turned around and widened his eyes. His son has been taken as a hostage. "Toshiro!"

Several police cars and policemen caught up and pointed their guns at the kidnapper. One of them exclaimed, "Thief, we have you surrounded! There's nowhere to hide!"

"Stay back if you know what's best for you!" he exclaimed. Raising his gun up, he placed the muzzle against the side of Toshiro's head. He turned the safety off. The boy's eyes widened with horror. "One wrong move and say good bye to this little boy!"

Hitsugaya cried, "Oto-san, help me!"

The police growled with frustration. "Put the boy down!"

The robber took a step back. "Never!"

Toshiro called out to his father again. "Oto-san!"

Angry, the thief yelled at the boy, "Shut up kid or else I'm going to blow your head off!"

Scared for his life, Toshiro's eyes turned teary. He bit the bottom of his lip, preventing himself from crying out loud. Despite his efforts, he sniffled as tears started to roll down his cheeks.

"Good."

Satoshi hissed between his teeth. He has to get his son out of danger or else the robber might do something to Toshiro. As a result, he would never forgive himself for losing his child. Then, he noticed his soccer ball rolling across the sidewalk. He looked up at the kidnapper and then down at the ball. He has made his decision. The Hitsugaya father ran and kicked the soccer ball towards the thief's face. "Eat this!"

Sensing danger, he turned to the side, pointed his gun at Satoshi, and pulled the trigger. He missed his target and ended up punching a hole through the soccer ball. When he resumed his attention to the front, the potential threat charged at him.

"Let go of my son!"

The two men collided with one another. In amidst the collision, Toshiro was set free and fell to the ground. The next thing he knew, he heard the sound of a firing gunshot. Hitsugaya gasped and shut his eyes. He quickly lowered his head as low as possible and covered his ears with his hands. Seconds later, another one was shot. "You're under arrest for thievery, hostage taking, and the injuring of an innocent bystander."

Toshiro shot his eyes open and raised his head. Injuring of an innocent bystander? The only people who got were him and his fa-He gasped. "Oto-san!"

The boy scrambled to his father's side to see his condition. During this time, the several policemen handcuffed the thief and took hold of his possessions. The others checked up on him and his father. One of them took a quick look and noticed a gash of blood is coming out of his recently opened wound. "Call an ambulance quickly!"

"Yes sir!"

"Don't worry, kid; your father is going to be alright."

Hitsugaya slowly nodded with agreement before turning to Satoshi.

"Please you have to wake up..." He pleaded, nudging the lifeless body with his bare hands. "Oto-san, you have to be alright."

All of a sudden, he noticed a hand twitch. His worried face suddenly lightened up as he saw his father's smiling face.

"Oto-san, you're okay."

Satoshi slowly raised his hand and placed it on his son's cheek. Then, he brushed a section of his bangs aside. He apologized weakly, "I...I'm sorry for destroying your soccer ball like that."

"It's okay," Toshiro replied. "You can always get me another one, right?"

The Hitsugaya father looked down to see the condition of his wound. He's losing a lot of blood and fast. It's causing his head to spin. He looked at his child. "Toshiro...listen to what I have to say. If...If anything happens to me, pr-promise that yo...you will look after your mother..."

"Huh, what do you mea-"

"Do you promise?"

Judging by the serious look in his eyes, Hitsugaya slowly nodded with agreement. "I-I promise..."

Satoshi placed his hand on his head and gently ruffled through his snowy white hair. Hitsugaya became worried. The way he is brushing through his hair is not as rough as before. "Now...that's my son; I know...y-you won't let me...down..."

All of a sudden, his hand dropped to the ground like a rag doll. Toshiro's eyes widened and started shaking his body again. Continuously, he called out to him, "Oto-san! Oto-san!"

Seeing that his efforts were no use, he turned to the policeman that was nearest to him.

"Mr. Policeman, t-there's something wrong with my father!"

"What did you say?" He got down on one knee and checked the body's pulse. "He's not breathing! Somebody give him CPR!"

Several policemen started gathering around. As one of them is performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Toshiro helplessly watched. He closed his eyes and started pleading to the heavens for his father's survival. _"Please let him live. Please let him live."_

After a few minutes, the policeman performing CPR stopped. He turned to his co-workers and shook his head. One of them placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder, getting his attention.

"How is he?" Hitsugaya asked. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I-I'm sorry; your father...he's dead."

Toshiro's eyes widened. "No...He can't be."

"Boy, this is the truth."

Tears started to flood into his eyes and down his cheeks. He continuously shook his head, refusing to believe a word they said. "You're lying! You're all liars!"

"I wish we could do something to stop this, b-but we were too late..."

Toshiro placed his hands over his face and cried out loud. Though he said those words, he knew the truth. He could tell just by looking at the lifeless body that is laid in front of him. He's not stupid. His father had been acting strange in his final moments and now, there is no use denying it. Satoshi Hitsugaya could not be with him anymore; he's dead.

* * *

><p>Naomi Hitsugaya strolled back and forth across the living room, waiting for her husband and son to come home. She stopped for a moment to look at the clock hanging on the wall. It is seven thirty in the evening; it is way past their dinner time. She sighed with defeat and took a seat on the couch. "I hope nothing bad has happened to them."<p>

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of sirens. Wondering what is going on outside, she left her seat to check things out from the window. A police car is parked in the driveway. Coming out of it is two policemen and a familiar face. She gasped and quickly hurried to the door. After opening it, she ran out to embrace her child.

"Oh my gosh Toshiro, what happened?" Naomi asked, looking down at the boy. "Where's your father?"

By the time he looked up, she noticed that there were tears in his swelling eyes. He has been crying over the past little while.

"What's wrong, Lil'Shiro? Why are you crying?"

Hitsugaya sniffled a few times before hugging his mother. He suddenly cried out, "I-I-It's my fault! Ot-Oto-san...H-He died trying to protect me fro-from a bad guy!"

Naomi gasped and raised her head to seek confirmation from the policemen. They lowered their heads and slowly nodded. Feeling sad, the mother went down on one knee to take a face to face look at her son. After he paid attention to her, she cracked a soft smile and hugged him tightly. "There there, my little one," she said. "It's not your fault that all this happened."

"Yes it is my fault! I-I was too weak to do anything!"

Unable to hold it in, he rested his chin on Naomi's shoulder and cried some more. During their moment of sorrow, one of the policemen apologized, "We're really sorry for what happened to your husband, Mrs. Hitsugaya."

Naomi looked up and shook her head. "No, I should be thanking you for bringing my son home safely."

* * *

><p>He lay in bed for a long time. However, he couldn't bring himself to falling asleep. His mind is too occupied over the recent events. Toshiro sat up and crawled out of bed. Leaving the safety of his bedroom, he walked through the dark hallway in search of his parents's bedroom. He hoped his mother could do something about his sleeping problem.<p>

When he finally arrived at his destination, he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. Just as he is about to enter the room, he noticed something and quickly pulled back. Leaving the door to slightly opened, he took a moment to take a peek at what's inside. His mother is awake and sitting on her bed. Buried in her arms, she was sniffling.

Realizing that she was crying, Toshiro lowered his head. She has been holding back her tears until now. With one last look at his mother, he quietly closed the door and returned to his room. After sitting on his bed once more, he wrapped his arms around his legs. Arching over, he silently cried until he was too tired to release anymore tears.

"Please let me forget any of this has ever happened," he whispered. "This is all nothing, but a bad dream."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Present Time...<em>**

Hitsugaya's slowly opened his eyes and raised his head to look around. Realizing that he is in his room, he sighed and leaned back against his seat. He concluded that he has fallen asleep while he was doing his homework. Feeling something on his cheek, he placed a hand on it. Recognizing what he's feeling, he looked down at his fingertips. They were his tears. _"Oto-san..."_

Without any warning, he heard his bedroom door being knocked on. He quickly wipes his tears away with an arm and turns around.

He asked, "Who is it?"

The door slowly opens to reveal the raven haired girl standing behind it.

"It's you..."

Momo let out a soft smile and lowered her head. After a short moment of thinking, she raised her head up again and said, "Hey, umm...Naomi-san asked me to bring these up to your room."

Toshiro looked away, trying to find the proper words to say to her. "Um...Thanks, you can put them on the table at the side."

She did as she was told. For a few silent moments, Hitsugaya thought about apologizing to her again.

"Um, Hi-"

Hinamori suddenly interrupted, "Well, I guess I'll leave now..."

He looked at her and slowly lowered his head. "O-Okay..."

With a short nod, she left the room and closed the door behind her. Hitsugaya suddenly turned back to the front, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. Raising two fingers up, he massaged his temples. Once again, he failed to say sorry to the peach girl.

He looked up at the white ceiling and stared blankly at it. Memories of his last moments with his father surfaced in his thoughts.

**_"I miss her."_**

Hitsugaya remembered saying those words a long time ago. However, he can't seem to remember why he said that. Everything that has happened before that forgotten day has been nothing, but a blur. It never bothered him before, but for some reason, he just wanted to remember those moments.

_"Why can't I remember it?" _

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Oto-san**_ - Father

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **_*sniffles*_ Poor Toshiro, he needs a hug...from Momo. xD Anyway, stay tuned and find out what happens in my next update. Please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	8. It's a Date!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own is Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone, I'm back with another update! Thank you for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **azngurl113219, Koatan, Evertale, icyangel27, peachsnowFan, fayfan, anime16, becomeafan, Crystal183, pinky3chan, bengara-koushi **_(x2)_**, Reader-favs, Rawr **_(x2),_** Just-listen-to-your-heart, lol** _(x2)_**, peachesandstrawberries,** and** sabrina.**

_Message to **Rawr**:_ To be honest, I'm still contemplating whether to write that scene (even though it's appropriate) because that idea is clashing with another one that is in my mind right now. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the final decision by the time we're about half or three-quarters done with the story. Thanks for your review!

_Message to **Just-listen-to-your-heart**_: Well, you just have to wait and find out if your guesses are correct. Thanks for your review!

_Message to **peachesandstrawberries**_: I hope so too. xD Thanks for your review!

_Message to **sabrina**_: Kira crushing on Momo. _*looks away elsewhere*_ Anyways, you just have to stay tuned and find out! Thanks for your review!

Here is chapter eight. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Eight:** It's a Date!

Hinamori was doing her homework in the living room when Naomi entered from the kitchen. "Momo-chan, can you please do me a favour?"

Looking up at the emerald-teal eyed woman, she replied, "Sure, what it is?"

"Can you run into the city and buy a few groceries for me?"

Momo put down her pencil and nodded. "Okay, I'll go get ready."

With a smile on her face, Naomi watched the peach girl stand up from her seat and run upstairs to her room. Suddenly, she raised a fist up and did a small gut pose. Everything is going well just as she planned. After she is dressed up, she ran downstairs to the front entrance only to find Toshiro putting on his shoes. "Hitsugaya-kun, are you going somewhere?"

When he finished tending to his footwear, he stood up and looked at her. He simply answered, "Yes."

"Oh..."

Momo put on her shoes. "I'm going shopping with you."

There is a short pause before she stopped and looked at him. "Eh, you're serious?"

"Yup," Naomi replied, walking up to the two teenagers. "Toshiro will help you hold the groceries. Besides, you won't be able to carry all the groceries back home on your own."

"I see."

She turned to Hitsugaya.

"Arigato."

He merely shrugged his shoulders and turned to his mother. She handed him a piece of paper and some bills. "Here's the list and some money."

He took a moment to scroll through the things to buy list. Suddenly, he blushed and looked at her. He protested, "Oi Okaa-san, buy some of these stuff on your own time!"

"I would, but I have to go to work," she replied. "I won't have the time to buy them."

Hitsugaya growled with annoyance as he put the list and money into his pants pockets. She grinned.

"That's why I asked Momo-chan to come with you."

Toshiro shot her a glare.

"Anyway, that's enough with you two hanging around here!" She walked past the two teenagers and opened the front door. She got behind them and started pushing them out. "It's time for you two to get out and have fun together!"

She pushed them out and happily waved them good bye.

"I'll see you soon!"

Just as Hitsugaya is about to say something, Naomi went inside and shut the door close. He sighed with defeat and turned around. "Let's go."

Seeing the white haired prodigy is walking ahead, Momo turned around and followed. "Ah hai!"

They started walking together.

"Um, you don't have to go shopping because your mother said so."

He glanced at her and replied, "It's alright; I...don't mind."

"Oh..."

They fell silent and continued their way to the city.

* * *

><p>"Ou, let's go into that store!" Matsumoto pointed out, ushering her childhood friend to follow.<p>

"Oi Rangiku, didn't we already checked it out when we first came here?" Ichimaru asked.

"Yeah, but I want to look through the store again! I might want to buy something this time."

"Okay fine, we'll go inside again as long as you promise that we head back to your place. I don't think I can hold anymore bags in my arms."

"Okay okay!" the strawberry orange haired woman said. "Let's go inside already!"

As the two classmates of class 3-1 went into the clothing store, they failed to notice Toshiro and Momo walking across the street. Neither of them spoke to each other throughout the whole trip so far. While Hinamori was too timid to say anything, Hitsugaya was busy coming up with different ways to apologize to the peach girl. He sighed and took a quick glance at the raven haired girl beside him. By the time, she turned her head in his direction, he faced back to the front. "So...What else we need to buy?"

"Oh, um...let me see." She took a look at the shopping list and said out loud, "We still need to buy some oranges, lettuce, peaches, and some...female products."

Hitsugaya stopped and shuddered. "Why don't we split up the list so that we don't have to waste anymore time around here? You go buy those products while I finish with the other groceries."

"Um, okay."

"Once we're done, we'll go straight home."

"A-Are you going to be alright with carrying all those bags?"

"I'm okay with what I'm holding right now."

"Alright."

Just as they were about to part ways, Hitsugaya suddenly said, "Um, wait...there's one more thing I would like to say."

She resumed her attention to him. "Hn, what is it?"

_"Now is a good time to apologize," _Toshiro thought. He opened his mouth, but no words are coming out. When he tried again, he ended up say something else. "I-Um...never mind."

He mentally cursed himself. Once again, he blew another opportunity. "Oh, okay."

At that moment, Rangiku and Gin were about to come out of the store when one of them stopped and pulled the other one back inside. "Oi, why did you pull me back inside again?"

"Just shut up and look with your eyes," Matsumoto pointed out.

The gray haired teenager then noticed their schoolmates are outside, chatting with one another.

"Oh my, is this really true? Hitsugaya finally remembered her and asked her to go on a date?"

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Rangiku," Gin replied. "I don't think so. Besides, they're not doing any of the boyfriend and girlfriend stuff. In addition, they look like they're going on their separate ways."

"What the hell is he doing? Doesn't he understand that Hinamori could run into grave danger if he leaves her on her own?"

"Apparently, it looks like he doesn't."

"Come on Gin; we need to knock some sense into that idiot of a genius."

"Can't we drop by your place firs-"

She quickly replied, "No, we're going to follow them."

"What about Hinamori-chan? Who is going to watch over her?"

Just as Matsumoto is about to leave the store, she stopped. "Hn, that's a good point. Okay, you follow Hinamori while I follow Hitsugaya."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Technically, it should be that way. However, I know that you and Hitsugaya don't really interact with one another. This calls for a woman to do the job."

He shrugged. "Alright, if you say so..."

"Well, why are you just standing there for? Get moving and follow the girl!"

"Alright alright already, sheesh. You're so demanding."

"Oh, stop bellyaching and go," Matsumoto said. "I have to get ready to give a certain white haired genius a lecture to remember."

* * *

><p>"Thirty-four kan is your change," said the cashier, handing Toshiro some coins on his hand. "Have a wonderful day."<p>

"Thank you," he replied. "You too."

He stuffed the change into his pocket and picked up his new bag of added groceries in his hand. After picking up the rest of his things from the ground, he walked out of the store only to be confronted by a familiar face. He gave her a stern look. "What is it Matsumoto?"

"What the haywire are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Hitsugaya further questioned. "I'm shopping for groceries."

"You're an idiot, you know that? Don't you know it's rude to ditch your girlfriend like that?"

"What in the world are you talking about?"

She sighed with defeat and began scolding him. "You shouldn't leave Hinamori! What if some random bastard wants to get his dirty hands on her; what would you do then?"

Toshiro then rolled his eyes. "Listen, we agreed to split up so that we don't have to waste anymore time on our hands. She didn't go against the idea. So, she's fine with shopping on her own. Now, leave me alone so that I can finish my shopping in peace."

She gave him a look. "You seriously need a whack on the head."

"If that is all you have to say, you can go now. I need to head back home. My mother is expecting all the groceries to be done by four o'clock."

"Hitsugaya!"

"Uruse!"

He started walking away. "Oi, I'm not finished talking with you yet!"

"Stop following me already!" Toshiro snapped.

"But Hit-"

"Weren't you listening to me?"

"Bu-"

"Matsumoto!"

* * *

><p>"Hn, it should be around here somewhere," Momo said as she walking down the ail of shelved products. "Ah, there it is!"<p>

After taking the item from the shelf, she put it into her shopping kart. She took a look at her shopping list.

"I have...one more item to get and then my list is done."

With that said, she took hold of the kart handle and pushed it to the end of the ail. At that moment, she noticed a familiar face.

"Kira-kun, what are you doing here?"

By the time he noticed, the blond haired teenager turned a shade darker and sputtered, "H-Hinamori-kun, I-I-I just happened to be here because my mother wanted me to run to the store to buy something. W-What about you?"

"Oh, I'm just doing a favour for Naomi-san."

"Hitsugaya's mother, huh?" He looked around. "Is Hitsugaya with you?"

"Um, not at the moment," she replied. "We...sort of went on our separate ways so that we can complete the grocery list faster."

"I see." He looked at her shopping kart and noticed that she has a few bags of items that were bought from different stores. "It looks like you both have quite a bit to carry."

"Well, somewhat. But don't worry, I can manage to bring it all home somehow."

He took another look at the groceries before resuming his attention to her. "I don't mind helping you out. Besides, my place is not too far from Hitsugaya's. So, we'll be walking on the same path for a while."

"Are you sure?"

Izuru nodded. "Hai."

Momo smiled. "Arigato Kira-kun, you're so kind."

"It's no problem, Hinamori-kun."

After they paid for all their purchases, the two classmates of class 2-1 came out of the grocery store with filled shopping bags. Together, they walked home.

"Are you going to wait for Hitsugaya?" Kira asked.

Hinamori shook her head. "Iie, he said it's best to go home separately."

"Oh..."

There is a silent pause.

"So, um...are you and Hitsugaya in better terms now?"

"Well, it seems like that. However...at the same time it doesn't."

"I see."

There is another moment of silence. Momo then lowered her head and said, "He really has become a different person over the years. I've tried my best to get to know the current Hitsugaya-kun, but...it just doesn't seem to work out. I'm starting to think he hates me now."

"Don't say that; I'm sure he doesn't hate you."

"How do you know?"

"Well, i-it's just a feeling."

"How's your relationship with Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Eh, well..." He thought for a moment. "...I suppose he considers me to be one of his good friends. We don't get into each other's business like how he interacts with Matsumoto-san or any of the others."

"Oh..."

"But anyway, that's my experiences whenever I interact with him. I think the best person to ask are his female friends: Matsumoto-san, Kuchiki-san, or Inoue-kun."

Momo let out a soft smile. "Thanks for cheering me up, Kira-kun. You're a good friend."

He smiled back. "It's really nothing."

By the time they made it to the front door of the Hitsugaya residence, Momo asked Izuru to hold some bags for a bit while she tries to find the house key from her carrying bag. "Hn, that's strange."

Kira sighed and then noticed something. By the time he took a look at the living room window, he saw that no one's there. He raised an eyebrow. He could have sworn someone was watching him.

"I could have sworn it was in here before I left the house."

"Why don't you try and knock?" Kira suggested. "Hitsugaya or Naomi-san might be home."

With a short nod of agreement, she turned to the door and knocked on it. After a few moments, they heard the sound of footsteps and the undoing of the door lock. By the time the door opened, they saw the female Hitsugaya standing on the other side. "I'm back, Naomi-san."

"Momo-chan, I'm so glad you came back home safely," she happily replied. Then, she noticed Kira. "Oh, hey Izuru-chan. It's nice seeing you again."

He gave her a short bow before putting the bags down on the ground inside the house. "Same here."

Kira then turned to his friend.

"Well, I better get going. My folks are waiting for me."

Momo smiled. "Thanks again, Kira-kun."

He smiled back. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

At that moment, Naomi's eyes slightly narrowed at the blond haired teenager. _"This guy, he likes her..." _

"Bye."

"Ja ne," Izuru said before turning to the female adult. "Bye Naomi-san."

"Ah yeah," Naomi replied. "See you..."

With a short bow, he left the premises. After closing the door, Hinamori said, "I'll go bring all this stuff to the kitchen."

"Okay."

Once she is gone, Naomi placed a hand over her face and shook her head. How did things turn out this way? When she entered the living room, she noticed her son is sitting on the sofa next to the window, watching television. She suddenly made a serious face and approached him.

"What in the world were you doing?"

Realizing the tone of voice she's using, Toshiro turned his head to the side to see his mother. He gave her a stern look. "What?"

"Oh nothing...I just can't believe I raised such an idiotic son."

"Huh, what does that supposed to mean?"

She turned around and gave him the classic Hitsugaya cold shoulder before leaving the room. Hitsugaya then rolled his eyes and resumed his attention to the television. Despite doing that, his thoughts wandered to the memory of what he saw moments ago. His friend, Kira has somehow met up with Hinamori and walked her home. During their time together, they have become closer friends; a skill that he needs to improve on.

Hitsugaya sighed. _"I have to apologize to her soon or else we'll never get along with one another."_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Hai**_ - Yes,_** Uruse**_ - Shut Up

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Hn, what could all this imply in the later chapters? Who knows...you just have to wait and find out in my next update! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.**  
><strong>


	9. Rainy Day

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya and Miyako Hinamori.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Yay, I finally got my Internet back! It was down a few days ago. So, I couldn't do any updates or watch Bleach 326. (_You've got to watch it, HitsuHina fans! It's an episode that definitely moved me even though the real Hinamori wasn't in the episode. Poor Shiro-chan!_) Anyway, thank you everyone for all your patience and thank you my wonderful reviewers: **anime16, azngurl113219, icyangel27, Koatan, Koneko144, Crystal183, fayfan, peachysnowFan, hitsuhinax, **and **Lulu22Temmy** for all your feedback. It was greatly appreciated. Without any further delay, here is chapter nine of The Faithful Promise. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Nine:** Rainy Day

Momo let out a defeated sigh before resting her chin on her arms. Today, she was supposed to be going shopping with Rangiku, Rukia, and Orihime. However, it is raining outside. It has been that way since this morning. _"I guess plans to go out with Rangiku-san and the others are out of the question."_

She then turned around to see Toshiro sitting on the other side of the sofa, watching television. She let out a faint smile on her face.

_"However, this is a good opportunity to get know the current Hitsugaya-kun better. We have the whole house to ourselves for the whole day because Naomi-san is working late today."_

Hitsugaya placed a hand over his mouth and let out a soft yawn. He then picked up the remote from the table and pressed the off button, shutting off the television. There is nothing good to watch at this time.

"So, what do you plan to do today?"

He looked over to see the raven haired girl. Judging by the look on her face, she is expecting an answer from him. Toshiro thought for a moment before he finally replied, "Homework."

With that said he left his seat and began leaving the room. "Eh, that's it?"

Just as he is at the door sill, he placed his hand on it and resumed his attention to Hinamori. "Yup, that's it."

"Um, okay..."

"You should do the same thing too," he replied. "Besides, you got a sixty-nine percent on your last math test."

She mentally choked, remembering the not so great test result. "H-How did you find that out?"

Hitsugaya turned around to face her. He put a hand in one of his pants pockets and took out a folded set of stapled papers. There are several circles and check marks written all over the different parts of the front page. However, it did not stand out as much. On the top right corner is the number sixty-nine which is written in red pen. "I found this on the floor at the front entrance just as I returned home yesterday."

Momo leaned back and let out a hesitant laugh. "Oh, it must have fell out of my bag somehow..."

Toshiro let out a sigh and walked up to her. Just as he is handing the younger teenager her paper, he further pointed out that she should redo the test when she has some spare time in her hands. Then, he retreated to his bedroom.

Hinamori closed her eyes and sighed with defeat. She leaned back against the sofa and began staring at the ceiling. _"Nice move, Momo Hinamori. He now thinks you're stupid."_

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, she exhaled some carbon dioxide out. When she opened her chocolate brown eyes, Momo stood up from her seat. She grabbed her bad test paper and retreated to her bedroom upstairs.

Once she is there, she closed the door behind her and threw herself onto the bed mattress. She rolled onto her back and stared blankly at the ceiling. "After living here for almost two weeks, he still doesn't remember me."

She turned her body to one side. Then, she noticed her childhood friend's most cherished dragon plush sitting at the corner of the bed. Hinamori extended a hand out and grabbed it. She pulled Hyorinmaru close and hugged in her loving arms. After a moment, she turned to the window. It is still raining outside. "Do you remember all the things Hitsugaya-kun and I would do on rainy days like this, Hyorinmaru?" she asked. "I do because those precious moments are hard to forget."

Momo let out a soft smile.

"It was all thanks to him..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Eleven Years Ago...<em>**

_"Do you know what she said after that?" Miyako asked. "I want to grow up into a beautiful woman who will be worthy for her husband."_

_"Aw, that's such a cute thing to say!" Naomi cooed. "Momo-chan surely knows how to say the darnest things."_

_The Hinamori mother giggled. "She sure does."_

_The female Hitsugaya let out a content sigh. "If my Lil'Shiro is able to say such things..."_

_All of a sudden, she placed her hands on her cheeks._

_She squealed out, "...I would give him the most loving hug a mother could ever give to her child!"_

_Miyako let out a hesitant laugh. "You sure adore your son."_

_"I know! He's my one and only child!"_

_She then noticed her five year old son walking into the living room. As he is carrying his favourite dragon plush under his arm, he is looking around for something. _

_"What's wrong Toshiro?" Naomi asked. "Did you lose something?"_

_Turning to the two mothers, the white haired boy shook his head. "I'm looking for Bed-Wetter Momo. We're playing hide and seek."_

_The emerald-teal eyed woman let out a defeated sigh. "Lil'Shiro, how many times do I have to repeat myself? It's rude to call Momo-chan names like that."_

_"I'm not calling her bad names. It's her nickname."_

_"Nickname?"_

_He nodded. "She keeps calling me Shiro-chan. So, I decided to call her Bed-Wetter Momo."_

_"Oh..."_

_"Well, I hope you find her," Miyako said while smiling at the boy. "She has to be found or else I won't be able to take her back home for the night. So, do your best."_

_Hitsugaya smiled and nodded. "Hai!"_

_Once the white haired boy left the room, the two mothers giggled with amusement. "About before, I think Toshiro-kun only says adorable things when he's with his dearest friends. It's a good sign." _

_Naomi nodded. "Yeah, he is a happier child when he has someone to play with."_

* * *

><p><em>Toshiro walked into the kitchen, searching left and right for any signs of Momo's whereabouts. Then, he stopped and carefully listened to any abnormal sounds. Suddenly, he heard something. The boy turned around to see the bottom cupboard. If he remembered correctly, that spot is where all the dried rice is stored. It is in a large container. <em>

_"Large container?" he thought as raised an eyebrow. He turned to the side to see it sitting out next to the fridge. A grin suddenly appeared on his face. "She's hiding in there." _

_He walked up to the cupboard and stood in front of it. Now that he's close, he could hear the almost quiet whispers from inside. All of a sudden, he heard the sound of a thud. He quickly opened the cupboard to see the four year old girl, clutching her hands onto the small bump she just got on the back of her head. "I-Itte..."_

_"Are you alright?" he asked. _

_"Oh, hey," Momo said before letting out a shaky laugh. "I'm alright. I-I sort of gave myself away, didn't I?" _

_Hitsugaya sighed. "Be careful next time." _

_He took a step back so that the younger child can come out of her hiding spot. She smiled. "I will."_

_Then, she placed a hand on the back of her head and began numbing the pain._

_"Ow, it still hurts..."_

_Toshiro then held out his dragon plush out to her. "It will go away soon enough." _

_She looked at him for a moment before asking, "I thought you don't want anyone to hold your favourite plush." _

_He slowly turned his head to the side. "Y-You can hold onto him for a bit." _

_Realizing that he is trying to comfort her, Momo smiled and accepted his offer. "Arigato Shiro-chan." _

_All of a sudden, he gave her a stern look. "Oi Bed-Wetter, stop calling me that." _

_"Mou, I don't wet the bed anymore!"_

* * *

><p>Hinamori let out a sigh. "Yeah, those were the good old times..."<p>

She got off of her bed and walked over to her work table. She placed Hyorinmaru next to the table lamp and took her seat on the chair. She took out a notebook, a textbook, and a few writing utensils and placed them on the surface of the desk. From there, she opened her books and began doing her homework.

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya closed his notebook and let out a sigh. After being in his room for two hours, he finally finished his homework. He leaned back against his chair and turned to look at the weather outside. It is still raining. Toshiro let out a defeated sigh and left his seat. From there, he walked out of the bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen.<p>

He opened the fridge to check the contents inside. Noticing a plate of sliced watermelon in the corner, he took it out and placed it on the counter. With no time to waste, he picked up a slice and quickly ate it. He picked up another one and ate it too. By the time he is on his fifth slice, he stopped and looked at the stairs in the hallway. Seconds later, Toshiro looked at his watermelon slice and then back at the stairs again. _"She hasn't come out of her room for a while."_

The white haired teenager sighed with defeat and put the fruit back with the others. He picked up the whole plate and walked upstairs.

Once he is in front of her room, he stopped and stared down at the ground. _"Maybe this isn't a good time to talk to her; I shouldn't bother her when she's in a middle of her homework." _

He turned his body to the side and began walking. However, just as he is about to leave, he stopped again. Once again, he lowered his head.

_"I still haven't apologized to her either."_ He raised his head and looked over his shoulder to see her closed room. _"I should do it now before I change my mind again."_

Toshiro nodded and walked back.

_"No matter what happens, I have to tell her."_

He stopped in front of her door again. After raising a hand, he gently knocked on it. He waited patiently for her to answer the door. However, there was no response. He tried again. Once more, there was no answer.

"Um Hinamori, I'm coming in."

Hitsugaya took hold of the doorknob and turned it. Once the door opened, he entered the room only to find the raven haired girl sleeping on her notebooks at the desk.

_"She's sleeping." _

He approached her to see all the work she has done so far. Toshiro set the plate of watermelon slices on the side and took a closer look at her homework. After a brief moment, he looked at the raven haired girl and cracked a faint smile on his face. He had to give her some credit; she has been working hard. However, some of her answers are wrong.

Noticing her sweater lay out on the bed, he took it and draped it over her shoulders so that she doesn't catch a cold. "I'm sorry for making you miserable this whole time," he quietly said. "I-I hope we can get along despite me...not remembering anything about our past relationship with each other."

After a silent moment, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. By the time he reopened them, he noticed the winged dragon plush sitting on the corner of the table. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head off to one side.

_"That dragon plush...it looks familiar." _

Toshiro deeply thought about it for a long while. However, he came up with nothing. Hitsugaya suddenly shrugged his shoulders and turned around. He walked towards the door.

_"Oh well, it will come back to me eventually."_

Just as he was about to leave, he took one last look at the sleeping peach girl. Seconds later, he took hold of the doorknob, quietly stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

Minutes later, Momo opened her eyes. She sat up and stretched her arms up into the air. After letting out a satisfying yawn, she realized that she's wearing a sweater over her shoulders. She then raised an eyebrow. She could have sworn that she wasn't wearing it a while ago. However, everything became clear when she looked over to the side to see a plate of watermelon slices on the table. Hinamori glanced over her shoulder to see that her bedroom door is closed.

"Hitsugaya-kun," she said. "He was here..."

She turned back to the front to take a slice of watermelon. Just as she held the delicious fruit up, Momo let out a smile. Finally, their renewed friendship is going in the positive direction. To commemorate the occasion, she will eat all the watermelon slices that Toshiro has left behind for her.

"Arigato."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

**_Hai_** - Yes, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **It's a sign! Yay, their friendship has sprouted once more! What is going to happen next? Well, just stay tuned and find out in my next update! Please review! Thanks. 


	10. Score!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya and Miyako Hinamori.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! We're at the half way point of the story! (_Yes, this story is going to be twenty chapters long._) You know what this means; it's time to kick things up a notch and move on with the drama and HitsuHina love! Yay! Special thanks goes to my awesome reviewers: **anime16, Lulu22Temmy, aznguarl113219, peachsnowFan, Koatan, icyangel27, fayfan, Evertale, Crystal183, Reader-favs, Natsume**. Without any further delay, here is chapter ten. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Ten:** Score!

When the alarm clock started ringing at eight o'clock, Toshiro Hitsugaya is already awake and all dressed in his set of casual clothes. He took a moment from his current task to shut off the alarm. Once the clock was silenced, he returned to his bed. He continued packing all the things he needs for the soccer game that will take place at the school later today. By the time he closed the zipper on his sports bag, he heard his mother calling out to him, "Toshiro, breakfast is ready!"

Hitsugaya put on the bag strap over his shoulder and left the bedroom to go downstairs into the kitchen. "Ohayo Hitsugaya-kun!"

Noticing the raven haired girl is up and awake, Toshiro greeted, "Ohayo."

He walked over to the dining table and pulled up a chair to sit down.

"You're up early."

Momo nodded with agreement and smiled. "Of course I have to wake up early or else I'm going to miss watching you play."

Toshiro picked up his chopsticks and gave her a stern look. Judging by the look on her face, she has something else in mind. "Hn, really now?"

He began eating his meal. During this time, Naomi placed a small bowl of miso soup on the table. She said, "I wish I can watch the game too, but I have work."

Hitsugaya paused and glared at his mother. "It's a good riddance you have work today. I don't want you to take photos of me or film me on camera."

"But Lil'Shiro, don't you want to show photos or videos of current self to your future children?"

"Oi, don't start that conversation aga-"

"Um Hitsugaya-kun," Momo interrupted. "Don't you have to leave for school in about five minutes?"

He took a quick at the clock on the side and widened his eyes. "Damn it, you're right."

Without another word, he went back to finishing up his meal. At that moment, Naomi snickered. It has been three weeks since Momo moved in and judging from the way her son is interacting with her, it appears that their relationship is doing well. Hitsugaya put down his chopsticks and empty bowl of rice on the table.

"That was delicious."

"I'll clean up from here," Momo said from the kitchen counter. "You can go ahead."

With one look at the peach girl, he nodded with agreement. After placing the bag strap over his shoulder, he replied, "Thanks Hinamori. I'll see you at the game."

She smiled. "You bet!"

He then quickly left the kitchen.

"Bye Lil'Shiro!" Naomi said. "Have fun out there!"

"Okaa-san, stop calling me by that nickname!" the two females heard Hitsugaya hollered out from the front entrance. "I'm not a kid anymore!"

Without another word from him, they heard the front door open and slam shut. Seconds later, the female Hitsugaya giggled with amusement and turned to Hinamori. "So, Momo-chan..."

"Ah yes?"

"It seems like you and Toshiro are getting along a lot better these days."

Momo smiled. "I suppose so. At least, Hitsugaya-kun's willing to talk and hang out with me now."

Naomi smiled back, happy for the girl. All of a sudden, she placed a fist on top of the palm of her hand. "I've got a good idea. Why don't you make lunch for him?"

There was a silent pause. "Eh, you're serious?"

She nodded. "Yep, I'm sure he will eat your food."

"W-Wait a minute!" Momo raised both her hands up. "W-What if my food isn't...to his taste?"

Naomi raised a finger up and slowly moved it back and forth. "Nyah ah ah, don't you dare doubt yourself like that! Toshiro is able to eat almost any kind of food that is in front of him as long as you give it when he's at the most hungriest. Also, you have me to help guide you in the right direction."

"B-But Naomi-san..."

"There is no time for you to chicken out!" she interrupted. "Besides, your mother has informed me that you're quite a good cook at home in America."

"Okaa-san did?"

She nodded. "Oh yes. So, shall we get started before it's too late?"

* * *

><p>"Pass the ball, Hisagi!"<p>

Noticing the red headed teenager and his fellow forward player, Kurosaki are running ahead, Shuhei evaded his attacking opponent and kicked the ball high up into the air. Seeing that he is in position, Renji stopped running and did a headbutt on the ball. The rolling object ended up bouncing in front of Ichigo's feet.

With the top of his foot, he lifted the ball into the air. He ducked under the ball and kicked it ahead with his back heel. Noticing that the ball is coming in his direction, the two forward opponents were about to intercept and steal the ball. However, Hitsugaya caught up with it first.

He quickly did a side kick and shot towards the net. The goalie jumped out and tried to catch the ball with his hands, but the soccer ball suddenly changed direction. As a result, it moved out of his reach and scored into the net. The referee blew the whistle, validating the play. During this time, Toshiro and his teammates cheered with delight. "Alright Hitsugaya!"

"Nice shot, Toshiro!" Kurosaki said.

"Oi, it's Hitsugaya to you!" the white haired teenager retorted. "Don't make me repeat that again."

They heard the sound of the whistle once more. "Alright everyone!" said the head coach. "Morning practice is over! You guys can take a long rest because you'll need it for the game at two o'clock in the afternoon. With that said, meet back here by one thirty. You are dismissed!"

Renji and Ichigo let out relived sighs before falling onto the bed of grass on the ground. In the meantime, Hisagi, Kira, and Hitsugaya walked to the team bench to get their water bottles to drink. Abarai suddenly said, "Damn, I'm beat!"

"No kidding," Kurosaki agreed. "The coach has been nothing, but harsh with us since this morning."

Toshiro poured some water over his head so that he can cool off. After brushing some of his wet hair onto one side of his face, he turned his attention to his schoolmates. "Oi, get up already or else you won't have any share of water from the rest of us."

The two teenagers gave the prodigy a look. "Toshiro is as strict as ever."

Renji nodded with agreement. "Oh yeah..."

Hitsugaya shot them a glare. "Uruse."

"Ichigo's right," said a voice. "You really need to loosen up."

Kurosaki and Abarai quickly sat up as the others turned their heads to see the presence of the rest of their comrades. Toshiro shot the older teenager a glare. "Matsumoto-san," Kira said. "Everyone else, you're here."

"You guys are early," Hisagi added.

"Yeah," Renji agreed as he and Ichigo stood up from their seats. They walked over to the others to join in on the conversation. "The game doesn't start until two."

"We know about it," Orihime said. "We just thought today is a nice day to be doing fun activities outside."

She then held up a thick stack of boxed lunches that is wrapped in a large cloth.

"Why don't you guys join us for lunch?"

* * *

><p>"This is delicious, Orihime-chan!" Rangiku happily said. "What did you put inside this?"<p>

"Oh, it's really nothing," Inoue replied. "It's just mixed radish, some jelly beans, almonds, maple syrup, and anchovies."

"Really? I want to try some."

Oblivious to them, most of the others made strange looks on their faces. Despite that, they all thought the same thing._ "Oi oi, are you serious?"_

"Hey Kuchiki," Hisagi said. "What is this?"

"Oh, Nii-sama made lunch for me today," Rukia replied. Suddenly, she placed her hands together. "I'm just so happy he thought about me despite having such a busy work schedule."

Renji and Ichigo peered over her shoulder to see her lunch. Kurosaki made a look while Abarai let out a defeated sigh. The orange haired teenager asked, "Is that supposed to look like a fried octopus?"

"I think so," the black haired girl replied. "However, this is even better than an octopus. Nii-sama spend a lot of precious time to make this look like the Seaweed Ambassador! He's so artistic!"

"Um yeah..."

"Yo Hitsugaya, where's your lunch?" Matsumoto asked. "I don't see it out anywhere."

"I-I'm not hungry right now," Toshiro replied to her. "I'll eat later."

"Are you sure about that? You might get hungry during the game."

"Don't worry; I'm fine." Suddenly, he turned to the side and placed a hand over his growling stomach. _"Damn it. Out of all days, I have forgotten to bring my lunch from home." _

He felt a tap on his shoulder. The white haired teenager turned to see his classmate looking at him.

"What is it, Hinamori?"

Momo let out a faint smile and showed him a two stack bento. He raised an eyebrow before resuming his attention to her. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "After you left the house, your mother found out that you've forgotten to bring your lunch. So, she asked me to deliver it to you."

"I see." He removed a stack of bento and placed it in front of him. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Little did they realize, people were watching them. Matsumoto let out a grin on her face. _"Hn, is their love finally starting to blossom?" _

At that same time, Kira kept his eyes fixed on both Hitsugaya and Hinamori. He closed his eyes and suddenly let out a defeated sigh. _"He's so lucky..."_

In the meantime, Ichimaru, who is watching the pale blond haired teenager, let out a grin on his face. _"It's just as I suspected."_

Eager, Toshiro quickly picked up his chopsticks and placed his hands together. After saying his thanks, he took his first bites from his lunch. Moments later, he stopped and looked down at it. The peach girl noticed and asked, "Is...there something wrong?"

He turned his attention to her and shook his head. "Ah no, it's just...it tastes different from my mother's usual cooking. Did you happen to make it, Hinamori?"

"...I see."

"I-I'm sorry if it tastes bad."

"Don't be sorry; i-it actually tastes...quite delicious."

_"Hitsugaya-kun."_ All of a sudden, Momo's face lightened up. "I-I'm glad you like it. I was a little worried that you don't like the food I made."

With a short nod, he continued eating. Hinamori smiled for a moment before going back to eating her meal. As everyone is happily enjoying their meals, Ichimaru noticed Kira still glancing at his two friends: Toshiro and Momo. He leaned over and asked, "Izuru, can I have a private chat with you for a moment?"

The pale blond haired teenager was baffled. Why would Gin want to talk to him privately? "Um, okay..."

With that said, the two students of Seireitei High stood up from their seats. "Oi Gin," Matsumoto asked. "Where are you going with Kira?"

"Don't worry, Rangiku; we'll be back soon enough." He then turned to the other teenager. "Isn't that right, Izuru?"

Kira nodded. "We'll be back before the game starts."

The strawberry orange haired woman gave her childhood friend a stern look. Seconds later, she sighed with defeat. "Alright then."

After a word of thanks, the Izuru and Gin both left the others. Once they are gone, Hisagi asked, "You seem to be suspicious of Ichimaru about something."

"He's hiding something."

"Oh..."

"Once he comes back, I'll squeeze the truth out of him."

With that said, she went back to eating. Renji raised an eyebrow before turning to his closest friends, Ichigo and Rukia. "She's pissed off."

The other two teenagers nodded with agreement. Kuchiki replied, "It's because Ichimaru-san probably got his hands on some interesting gossip that Matsumoto-san has yet to find out. He's the only person that manages to outsmart her in that department."

"Whatever gossip it is, it's just nonsense stuff," Hitsugaya said. "I don't see why people are so interested in what's going on in other people's lives."

The white haired prodigy then continued eating his meal. "I suppose Hitsugaya has a point," Hisagi said. "Let's get back to finishing up our meals."

Everyone else nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

* * *

><p>"Ichimaru-san, I think this is far enough," Kira said, stopping the gray haired prodigy from walking any further. "What did you want to talk to me about?"<p>

Gin turned around to face the younger teenager. After a few silent moments, he finally commented, "You like Hinamori-chan, don't you?"

Izuru was suddenly pulled back by the direct statement. Was his actions that obvious to him? "W-What makes you say that?"

"I saw you with her at the grocery store the other day."

_"What? Ichimaru-san was there at that time?" _he thought. "R-Really?"

He nodded with agreement. "Oh yes, I just happened to be shopping around the area."

"J-Just because you happened to see us together during that time, it doesn't mean that I have an interested in her."

"I beg to differ," Gin pointed out. "I've been noticing your strange actions since Hinamori-chan moved here. You're always watching and acting so kind to her."

"That still doesn't prove it."

"Fine then, I'll tell you solid proof. I saw you walking her back to Hitsugaya-kun's place, carrying her groceries and what happened after that."

* * *

><p><em>Momo smiled. "Thanks again, Kira-kun."<em>

_He smiled back. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."_

_"Bye."_

_"Ja ne," Izuru said before turning to the female adult. "Bye Naomi-san."_

_"Ah yeah," Naomi replied. "See you..."_

_After giving them a short wave of good bye, the pale blond haired teenager turned around and left the premises. On his way home, he thought about his time with Momo. "I like her after all," he concluded. "She's so cute, fun to be with, and...so understanding."_

_All of a sudden, he began shaking his head. _

_"No, I shouldn't be thinking these things. Hinamori-kun likes Hitsugaya," Izuru thought. "So, I will gain nothing out of this. I would only make things complicated between them."_

_He sighed with defeat._

_"If Hitsugaya remembers his past, then that's one more reason for me not to make a move." _

_Then, he stopped for a moment._

_"Whatever happens, I just want her to be happy."  
><em>

_Little did he know, a certain gray haired teenager was watching his every movement from nearby. Ichimaru suddenly let out a sly grin on his face. "Hn, this is interesting. Izuru has feelings for Hinamori-chan."_

* * *

><p>"You do understand the consequences if you decide to confess your feelings for her," Gin asked. "The poor girl is going to be confused and everything."<p>

"I'm fully aware of the situation," Kira replied.

"Are you sure about that? Judging from the look on your face, you're not. You're acting a bit stubborn."

"Well, I think you're just trying to keep Hitsugaya and Hinamori-kun together. You guys are hoping that Hitsugaya will remember his past so that he can realize how much he cares about her," he explained. "However, don't you guys ever consider that Hitsugaya's feelings might have changed over the years? What if Hinamori-kun suddenly decides to give up on him and go for a different relationship?"

"Fine then, have it your way," Ichimaru finally said. "I won't interfere with Hitsugaya-kun's or Hinamori-chan's love life anymore. However, I'm warning you now. If Hitsugaya-kun happens to remember his past and realizes that you're together with her, you better be prepared for one dangerous cat fight."

"At least my life is better than yours, Ichimaru-san. You always keep Matsumoto-san wondering about your intentions. You're messing with her feelings to the point of her shedding tears behind our backs."

That moment, the gray haired teenager fell silent.

"Anyway, this talk is over. I'm going back to the others."

With that said, the pale blond haired teenager marched away as Gin quietly watched. "My my...Izuru, I never expected you to say such harsh words," he commented. "Then again, people do crazy things all the time when they're in love with someone."

The gray haired teenager then turned around and looked up at the floating clouds in the sky. He slowly opened his light blue eyes to get a better view of what's above him.

"Of course, I'm no different from them. I do crazy things for the person I care about the most."

* * *

><p>"I'm back, you guys!" Izuru said, calling out to his waiting schoolmates.<p>

"Yo Kira, what took you so long?" Ichigo asked. "Where's Ichimaru?"

"Oh, he...went off on his own for a bit."

Suddenly, Matsumoto folded her arms over her chest and frowned. "Geez, that guy always likes to do his own thing."

She sighed with defeat.

"Oh well, there's nothing we could do about it. He'll come back whenever he wants to."

"Let's go," Hisagi said. "I can see our teammates gathering around the coach. I think he wants to give us some final tips before the match starts."

"In that case, we'll be taking our seats in the bleachers," Kuchiki replied. "You guys better not lose especially you, Ichigo and Renji!"

"Good luck, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime cheered. "Good luck everyone!"

"We're going to kick their asses!" Abarai exclaimed before putting up a gut pose. "We're going to win!"

"Somebody's fired up," said a voice.

Hearing his voice, everyone turned their heads to the side. Hisagi said, "Ichimaru."

"What took you so long?" Matsumoto asked, marching up to the prodigy. "You were supposed to be back a few minutes ago!"

"Relax Rangiku," Gin replied. "I needed to use the men's room. Besides, if I were to go during the game, I might miss a few amazing scores from our star players."

Matsumoto placed her hands on her hips. "Praising them doesn't get you off the hook."

He sighed with defeat. "Fine..."

"Good luck Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said with a smile. "You too, Kira-kun."

"We'll do our best Hinamori-kun," Izuru replied.

At that moment, Toshiro laid his eyes on his two friends. Though he is supposed to be listening to their conversation, his mind is occupied with something. His eyes narrowed a bit until a voice interrupted his thoughts. "What's wrong Hitsugaya?"

Snapping back to reality, he turned his attention to Shuhei. He slowly shook his head and replied, "No, there's nothing wrong."

"If you're not feeling well, you can sit out during the game."

"It's alright, Hisagi. I'm fine."

With that said, the white haired prodigy walked past the older teenager to join his other teammates. During this time, Ichigo and Renji walked up to Shuhei and look at him. He shrugged his shoulders in response before following Hitsugaya's lead. "I better get going," Kira said.

Hinamori nodded. "I'll talk to you guys later."

"Hai."

After watching her soccer player friends join the rest of the school team, she returned to the others. They went to the bleachers to take their seats. About twenty minutes later, all the players got on the field and took their positions. "Hn, it's just as I suspected," Matsumoto said.

"What do you mean, Rangiku-san?" Hinamori asked.

"I'm not surprised of the positions Hitsugaya and the others have taken."

Puzzled, Momo raised an eyebrow.

"What Rangiku is trying to say is their field positions," Ichimaru pointed out. "Izuru and Shuhei took the left and right defender positions. On the other hand, Ichigo and Renji took the left and right wing positions."

"What about Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Our little genius has taken the star position: the center midfielder."

"Sugoi..."

"Well, that's expected," Rukia said. "Hitsugaya is one of the most skilled players on the team. He often helps Ichigo and Renji to score into the other team's net."

Orihime nodded with agreement. "He also has his own handful of goals he scores himself."

Matsumoto added, "Some of them are just awesome plays! If you have transferred earlier, you would have seen some of them!"

"I see," Momo replied. She then turned her attention to the white haired teenager, who currently is in possession of the ball. A soft smile crept up on her face. "I knew...he has a great talent for soccer."

Rangiku blinked. "You do?"

Hinamori nod her head. "He was only five years old when he saw an international soccer game on television. Immediately, he became memorized by it: the thrill and excitement of watching the players kick the soccer ball into the net. Since then, he started watching all the games. It went on for about several months until he decided to try out the sport himself."

"Really now?"

"Yeah, I was there when he first started. I was five years old at the time while he was six."

* * *

><p><em>"Mom, can I ring the doorbell this time?" the young raven haired girl asked.<em>

_Miyako looked down at her precious child and smiled. "Alright then, you can ring the doorbell."_

_"Yay!"_

_Letting go of her mother's hand, she waited to be lifted up in her mother's arms. Once she is able to reach the doorbell, she extended a finger out and pressed it. After she is put down on the ground again, Hinamori eagerly waited for someone to open the door. "Oh, hey Miyako-chan!" _

_Momo looked up to see Toshiro's mother hugging her mother. "Hey Naomi-chan!" she happily replied. "How are you today?" _

_"I'm doing great!"_

_Noticing her best friend's daughter standing beside Miyako, Naomi bent down to her level and greeted, "Hey Momo-chan, how are you?" _

_Hinamori smiled. "I'm doing fine, Naomi-san. Is Shiro-chan home right now?"_

_The female Hitsugaya pulled back, showing a grin on her face. "Yes, he's practicing his PK shots in the backyard at the moment. Why don't you go back there and see him?" _

_"Hai!"_

_With that said, the peach girl turned around and ran to the backyard, leaving the two mothers behind to chat with one another. Once she is there, she saw her white haired friend laying on the bed of grass and catching his breath. She looked over to the wide net and noticed the soccer ball rolling across the small yard. _

_She let out a soft smile. She is not surprised that her close friend has decided to try playing the sport after watching it on television for so long. Momo approached the tired boy and leaned over to get a close look at him. She happily greeted, "Hey Shiro-chan!" _

_Realizing her presence and how close she is, Toshiro gave the younger girl a stern look. "Oi Bed-Wetter, stop calling me that and get out of my face."_

_After letting out a short giggle, she pulled away so that Hitsugaya can sit up. "You've been working hard on improving your skills." _

_"I suppose so, but...I'm still far from good." _

_Momo smiled. "I want to see you kick the ball into the net."_

_"Huh?" _

_"Can I see it, please?"  
><em>

_After a few moments of staring at her, Hitsugaya closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. He got on his feet and brushed some dirt off his clothes. "Okay, but I can only show you once. I'm really tired right now." _

_"Alright then." _

_With that said, the peach girl took a few steps back and quietly watched her friend's movements. Toshiro picked up the dirty ball from the grass and put it back down. He is about two meters away from the goal with no one to prevent him from scoring. He took a few steps back and patiently waited until he was ready. Once he is, he ran towards the ball. Just as he is about to approach the soccer ball, he raised his right leg. With all his strength, he kicked the round object straight into the right corner of the net. _

_After taking a few breaths, he turned around to be congratulated by his younger friend. Momo happily said, "Sugoi Shiro-chan, that was a great shot!" _

_Toshiro placed a hand on the back of his head. After turned his head to the side, he replied, "Not really...I still need to work on it."_

_Hinamori smiled. "Ne, are you planing to play soccer for the school team when you're a little older?"_

_He resumed his attention to her. "I haven't really thought about it."_

_"You should do it."_

_"Why?"_

_"By then, you'll be a lot better at playing soccer. I just know it!"_

_Hitsugaya then looked down at the ground and thought for a moment. Once he has made his decision, he turned to her and said, "I'm not doing this for your sake. I'm doing this because I love playing soccer."_

_The peach girl closed her eyes and gave him a bright smile. "Hai!"  
><em>

* * *

><p>Without any warning, people around Rangiku and the others stood up and started cheering. "Eh, what's going on?" Momo asked as she stood up from her seat. "Did the Abarai-kun and the others score?"<p>

"No, but they're about to do that," Matsumoto replied as she and the others stood up too. She then pointed a finger at the soccer players running across the field. "Look!"

"Kira, pass me the ball!" Renji exclaimed.

With a nod of agreement, Izuru kicked the ball high up into the air. It flew above several heads before it started falling. Abarai stopped and tried to aim for a header. However, he is being pushed around by his two opponents. He hissed between his teeth. "Damn it! You're in my way!"

Renji got down on one knee before jumping up into the air. Ignoring the players that followed, he made contact with the ball (using his head) and changed its moving direction. One of his opponents laughed. "Where the hell are you aiming?"

Just as he is about to pick up the ball, something quickly ran past him. By the time he noticed, the soccer ball is not in his possession.

"W-What?"

He glanced over his shoulder to see his opponent has taken the ball away.

"H-He's so fast!"

Hitsugaya took a quick glance behind him before resuming his attention to the front. He looked to the left to see Ichigo running ahead. He look to the right to see Renji catching up to the orange haired teenager's running pace. He then looked ahead to see two defenders and the goalkeeper in his way from scoring a goal. "Abarai!" he exclaimed. "Kurosaki!"

The two close friends grinned. Renji suddenly exclaimed, "Yosh, let's go!"

Toshiro passed the ball to Ichigo before a short spin with his right heel. After evading an opponent, he continued running towards the net.

Meanwhile, Kurosaki is battling it out with his opponent as he tried to keep the ball in his possession. Noticing that Renji from the corner of his eye, he stopped running and kicked it across the field. Realizing that ball is coming in his direction, Abarai quickly shoved his opponent aside and jumped into the air. He extended his right leg out and kicked it ahead.

After carefully watching the ball's movement, Hitsugaya quickened his pace so that he can catch up to it. It is when he noticed the goalkeeper running out towards him. Using this opportunity, he stopped on his two feet and launched himself forward. Just as the keeper is about to grab the ball with his hands, Toshiro did a header and changed the ball's course. However, it bounced off the top post.

Not willing to give up, the white haired teenager planted his right hand on the grass. After putting all his weight off to one side, the game maker prepared to make his shot. However, he noticed one of the defenders are coming at him by sliding across the field. Noticing the orange haired teenager is in his view, Hitsugaya kicked from the bottom of his right foot and passed the ball.

"I've got it!" Ichigo exclaimed as he launched himself into the air.

Just as he is about to head butt the ball, the goalkeeper punched the spherical object out of the way. However, Renji managed to gain possession of the ball and made his shot. Unfortunately, it hit the post again. "Shit, the ball won't go into the net!"

Abarai tried to score again, but one of the defenders kicked the ball off course.

"Damn it, not again!"

At that moment, Hitsugaya intercepted with the ball and kicked it. The goalkeeper jumped off to the side and extended his hands out. Just as he is about to catch the ball, it suddenly changed direction and shot into the top corner of the net. Seconds later, the referee blew on his whistle twice.

Once he landed on the ground safely, Toshiro put up a single gut pose with his fist as his surrounding teammates cheered with excitement. Ichigo approached the white haired teenager and placed a hand on his head. After messing up his hairstyle, he said, "Nice shot, Toshiro!"

The prodigy growled and shooed his hand away. "It's Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki."

"Alright Hitsugaya!" Matsumoto cheered from the bleachers. "Keep it up!"

She then turned to Momo. "Come on, Hinamori! Cheer him on!"

_"I knew it," _the peach girl thought with a smile. _"He really is a good soccer player." _

"Oi, are you listening to me?"

"Ah hai." The peach girl then faced the front. After putting both hands on the sides of her mouth, she called out, "Great shot, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Hang on tight to the edge of your seats; I have a good feeling that team is going to be on a roll! So, we better be prepared for cheer them on with all our heart and soul when they score again!"

"Kick their asses big time, Ichigo and Renji!" Rukia cheered.

"Go Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue exclaimed.

"Go Kira-kun!" Momo shouted. "Go Hisagi-san!"

"Oh look, our devoted fans are cheering for us," Renji exaggerated as he placed a hand on his hip. "They make one hell of a cheering squad."

"They sure do," Ichigo agreed.

"Quit standing there like idiots," Hitsugaya said while walking past them. "The game is about to resume."

"Yeah yeah."

With that said, the two forward position players followed the midfielder back to their starting positions. They waited patiently for the signal. Seconds later, the whistle blew again. The game has started again. By the time it ends, the Seireitei High's boys soccer team will win today's playoff game.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Ohayo**_ - Good Morning, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Uruse**_ - Shut Up, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (casual/informal), _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, _**Hai**_ - Yes

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned and find out in my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	11. Interference

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own is Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Yo, I'm back with another completed chapter of The Faithful Promise. Thank you for all your patience especially my awesome reviewers: **azngurl113219, anime16, Evertale, icyangel27, peachysnowFan, Koatan, Lulu22Temmy, Hyourinmaru10, becomeafan **_(x3)_**, Crystal183, fayfan, bengara-koushi, Natsume, queen gaga, **and **KoKomimicHan**. Without any further delay, here is chapter eleven. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Eleven:** Interference

"Hinamori, wake up!"

Hearing her friend's voice and his knocking from the door, Momo groaned. She extended a hand out, took hold of her blanket, and draped it over her head. She mumbled, "Mm, five more minutes..."

She heard several more knocks from the other side of the door. "Oi Hinamori, you're going to be late for school!"

All of a sudden, her eyes shot open. Immediately, she pulled the blanket over to the side and sat up. She turned her head to the side to check the time. She then exclaimed, "Ah, it's already eight o'clock!"

On the other side, Hitsugaya heard her scrambling out of bed and causing a ruckus. He closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. This is not the first time that this happened. About three minutes later, she came out of her bedroom all dressed up. Her school uniform is neat and free of any wrinkles while her hair is also neat and tied up. "That was fast."

She placed a hand on the back of her head. She let out a hesitant laugh before apologizing, "Hehe, sorry to keep you waiting."

"At least you're awake now," Toshiro said, draping his school bag over a shoulder. "If I didn't bother to wake you up, you might have kept on sleeping until school is over."

Momo suddenly cracked a faint smile. "Actually, that's quite possible. I did it once before when I was in America. I thought my parents would wake me up, but I didn't realize that they both went to work early on that day."

"Hn, I feel sorry for your future sweetheart. He's going to have to deal with you for the rest of his life."

With that said, he began walking downstairs. Realizing what he just said, she began following him. "Eh, what does that supposed to mean?"

"I'm only messing with you. I'm sure he will love you regardless of your downfalls."

It is when Hinamori stopped walking and silently looked at the white haired teenager. She soon closed her eyes and sighed with defeat. _"If you had remembered, you wouldn't mind spending the rest of your life with me."_

After reopening her eyes, she continued her way downstairs.

_"Am I right, Hitsugaya-kun?"_

Once they are downstairs, the two friends entered the kitchen to find Naomi sitting on the dining table, reading a newspaper. She said, "Toshiro, Momo, you guys just woke up? If you don't hurry up and leave the house, you're going to be late for class."

Hitsugaya then eyed the raven haired girl before resuming his attention to the older Hitsugaya. "Relax, Okaa-san; it's not like we're going to miss anything important. The worse the teacher could do is kicking us out of the classroom and make us stand in the hall with buckets of water in our hands."

He walked up to his mother and picked up the two lunches that she prepared for them. He returned to Momo's side and handed it to her. Naomi let out a defeated sigh. "Just because you're a genius, it doesn't mean you get to sla-"

"Itterashai," Toshiro interrupted as he waved her a good bye.

"Oi, you're not even listening!"

Unfortunately, he already left the room and prepared to leave the house. The defeated mother leaned back against her chair and sighed.

"What am I supposed to do with him?"

Momo let out a faint smile and said, "Don't worry, Naomi-san; he only said that because he's trying to make me feel better."

"Huh, make you feel better?"

She nodded. "Actually, he woke me up today."

All of a sudden, Naomi is on high alert. "Eh, really?"

"Oi Hinamori, I'm going to ditch you if you keep talking to Okaa-san!" they heard Hitsugaya yell out loud from the front entrance.

"Ah hai!" she hollered back. "I'm coming!"

She then resumed her attention to the female Hitsugaya.

"I have to go now. I'll see you soon."

She nodded her head. "Have fun at school, Momo-chan."

With that said, Hinamori quickly left the room to join Hitsugaya. Together, they left for school.

In the meantime, Naomi went back to reading her newspaper. Seconds later, she cracked a smile on her face. "Well, what did you know? Their relationship would go this far already. All it needs now is Toshiro's declaration of love for her."

All of a sudden, her hands turned to fists. As a result, she crumpled the newspaper by the sides.

"Ou, I wish I never had to go to work today!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, we're not going to make it!" Hinamori exclaimed as she and Hitsugaya hurriedly took off their shoes and exchanged them for their indoor ones. "The bell has rung already!"<p>

Once he put his indoor footwear on, he quickly picked up his extra shoes and threw them into his locker. After slamming the locker door shut, he turned his attention to her and replied, "We'll make it as long as the teacher doesn't come into the classroom before us."

She did the same thing.

"Let's hurry up."

Momo nodded. "Hai."

As fast as they could, the two classmates dash their way to their homeroom 2-1 class. By the time they made it to the door, they were out of breath. Toshiro looked to the side to see the teacher has just turned at the corner. Hitsugaya quickly slid the door open. Without a moment to waste, he grabbed Hinamori's hand and dragged her inside the classroom. Once they are inside, he closed the door shut and pulled her to their desks, unaware that Momo blushed. On the other hand, someone else in the classroom did. Kira closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. _"He's so lucky..."_

When they got there, Hitsugaya let go of her and took his seat. He let out a relieved sigh. "We barely made it."

Toshiro then turned to Momo. "I told you we're going to be alright."

He then noticed something.

"Hinamori, why are you red?"

Suddenly, she looked at Hitsugaya and quickly replied, "Oh, I-I'm just tired from all the running! Yeah, that's right. I'm just tired."

The white haired prodigy then raised an eyebrow. "Alright, but if you're sick, you better go to the nurse's office."

She slowly nodded. "Ah yeah."

With a short nod, he resumed his attention to the front just in time. The teacher just entered the classroom. "Okay class, settle down! We have a lot of course material to go over today. So, open your history books to page 265 and let's get started."

* * *

><p>The coach blew on the whistle and raised a hand up high. Once he removed the whistle from his mouth with his other hand, he said, "Alright everyone, the first half of soccer practice is over! The second half of practice will resume in fifteen minutes!"<p>

Once the announcement has been made, the boys walked to the cooling station to refresh themselves. As he placed his head under the tap, Ichigo turned it on so that he can be soaked in water. By the time he is wet enough; he turned off the tap and turned to the rest of the gang. "Man that was one serious workout."

After taking a chug of water from his cold bottle, he turned to the spiky haired teenager and nodded. "Coach has been nothing, but harsh lately."

"It can't be helped," Hisagi replied. "We're going to be facing a strong team in our next game. So, we have to be at the top of our game."

"That's easy for you to say. Unlike a few of us, some of you have good academic records for the principal to allow you to keep participating in extracurricular activities."

"Then, work harder in your studies."

Abarai gave him a hard look. Kira let out a hesitant laugh and suggested, "You can always ask Hitsugaya, Hinamori-kun, or myself for some assistance."

"Speaking about them, Hinamori and the others are over there," Toshiro said, turning to the side. The others soon followed the young prodigy's example and did the same. They soon became aware of the presence of Momo, Gin, Rangiku, Rukia, and Orihime. "They're waiting for us."

By the time the boys joined up with the others, Rangiku placed her hands on her hips. While giving them a stern look, she leaned over to them and complained, "You guys sure took your sweet time. You were probably too busy fawning over all the fan girls that came to cheer you on."

Everyone gave the strawberry orange haired woman a long stare. Renji folded his arms over his chest and said, "Pff, as if we pay attention or even talk about stuff like that."

All of a sudden, he raised a fist.

"True men only concentrate on their hopes and dreams!"

Toshiro then placed a hand on his waist. After cracking a smirk on his face, he asked, "Hn, really now? A while ago, you were talking about Kuchiki."

Realizing what the young genius is up to, the other boys grinned with amusement. On the other hand, Renji snapped at the white haired soccer player, "What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't talking about her!"

"What? Don't you remember the first thing you said when you arrived at soccer practice? _Damn it, if I didn't get into another pointless argument with stupid Rukia, I would have come here on time._"

Without any warning, something took hold of the red head's shirt. By the time he noticed, Kuchiki pulled him close to her. With a single fist, she punched him on the head. "Ow, that hurts!"

After letting him go, she gave him a serious look. "That serves you right."

Renji glared at Toshiro. "You little bastard."

"I'm not little."

"You're still the shortest male in the group."

"Shut up, I'm still growing."

Abarai grinned. "We're still growing too. I bet you won't make it to our heights once we all grow up."

Hitsugaya then shot a glare at him. He's clearly getting back at him. In the meantime, the other males are enjoying the entertainment. Hinamori smiled and walked up to her white haired companion. "Once practice is over, I presume that you're going to be practicing some more elsewhere. So, you're going to be home late. Am I right?"

Toshiro nodded with agreement. "I'm guessing you're going home now."

"Yeah, Naomi-san asked me to prepare dinner tonight."

The white haired teenager looked down for a moment. Normally, they would walk home together even on days when one is going to be fairly late. He would always wait for her and vice-versa. However, this is one of those special cases where he is for sure can't make her wait. He won't be going home anytime soon. "Are you going to be walking with Matsumoto and the others?"

She nodded. "Yeah, they'll walk me home for most of the way."

After having her around for quite some time, he has grown to accept her in his life. With that determined, he doesn't want her to going home on her own. Anything could happen to his good friend. He gave Rangiku a look.

_"Hn, well what did you know? He's worries about her now."_ She gave him a smile and a wink on her face. _"Leave it to me, Hitsugaya." _

He then resumed his attention to Momo and replied, "Okay, I'll see you at home."

"Enjoy the rest of your day at soccer practice," Hinamori said.

"Thanks."

"Be careful on your way home," Kira replied.

Momo nodded her head. "I will; thanks for your concern, Kira-kun."

All of a sudden, he sensed a pair of eyes glaring at him. He turned around to see who is looking. However, he didn't find anyone keeping a close eye on him. At the same time, Ichimaru noticed the expression on a certain teenager's face. The older genius suddenly let out a wide grin. _"Hn, well this is an interesting development I'm seeing..." _

"Oi Gin, you know something."

Hearing his childhood friend's voice, he turned his head to the side to see her stern face. "Hn, what are you talking about?"

"Spill the beans."

Ichimaru grinned with amusement. "You'll find out soon enough, Rangiku."

Hisagi turned to Izuru. Shuhei raised a hand up for him to see. He said, "Oi Kira, let's get head back to the field."

"Ah hai!" He resumed his attention to the peach girl. "Sorry, I have to get back to practice."

After watching their friend join Hisagi, Renji and Ichigo looked at Toshiro and noticed he is putting up a very serious look on his face. They looked at one another for a moment before they realized something. They quickly resumed their attention to him. Kurosaki leaned over to his close friend and whispered, "Hey, you don't think he's..."

Abarai suddenly grinned with amusement. "Oh yeah, I think he is."

"Hn, so he's not just an ice prince anymore."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked a voice.

By the time they noticed, Toshiro is staring at them. Renji sputtered, "Ack Hitsugaya, w-we're not talking about anything serious!"

"If there is something serious to talk about, it better be developing a strategy to bypass the strong defense that our next opponents are going to use in the next game. Let's hurry up and join the others."

With that said, he left the other two teenagers to catch up to Hisagi and Kira. Ichigo and Renji looked at one another once more. "Hitsugaya's pissed right now."

Kurosaki nodded with agreement. "Yeah, he is."

Then, they followed the prodigy's lead.

During this time, Toshiro took another glance at Momo. Noticing that she is happily waving him good bye, he narrowed his eyes. One of his hands suddenly turned into a tight fist. After a short hiss between his teeth, he turned his head to the front. Now is not a good time to be worrying about other things; he needs to concentrate on soccer practice.

Once all the boys have gathered, they all left the others to go back to practice.

"Let's go everyone," Hinamori said.

"Yosh!" Inoue said as everyone turned around and began leaving the school premises. "We should stop by at the new desserts shop along the way. I hear the sweets there are good!"

"Really?" Matsumoto asked. "Then, let's go!"

All of a sudden, she stopped and gasped. Wondering what she's worried about, Momo asked, "What's wrong, Rangiku-san?"

"I totally forgot! We were supposed to meet up with someone at the library!"

"Oh yeah, we were supposed to meet with Eri-chan," Ichimaru said, stopping as well. "If I remember correctly, we were supposed to see her about half an hour ago."

"I'm totally sorry, Hinamori. I can't walk home with you today."

"I-It's alright," Momo replied. "I'll be able to manage somehow."

"Let's go Gin."

With that said, the strawberry orange haired woman went back into the school building. Seconds later, Ichimaru followed her lead. "Oi, wait up for me!"

The peach girl let out a sigh and turned to her other female friends. She smiled. "Well, shall we get going?"

Orihime and Rukia both nodded. "Hai."

* * *

><p>As everyone is heading to the team benches, Hitsugaya came across something on the ground. He went down on one knee to pick it up. After taking a moment to observe it, he closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. "Hn, what's wrong?"<p>

He glanced over his shoulder to see Kira looking at him. "It's nothing much; I just found Hinamori's cell phone on the ground. She must have accidentally dropped it when she passed by this area."

"Oh..."

Toshiro stood up, turned around, and continued walking. "Hitsugaya, where are you going? Practice is about to resume in about three minutes."

"I'm going to return it. It won't be long."

"Um, okay..." With that said, the white haired soccer player began running towards the front school gate. Izuru turned around and called out, "Y-You better hurry back! If the coach finds out you're missing, he's going to make you run a marathon like what he did to Abarai-kun the other day!"

However, Toshiro didn't listen to what the younger teenager said. He is too busy delivering Momo's cell phone to her. Once he is at the front gate, he stopped and looked around. _"She can't be too far away." _

All of a sudden, he heard a yell.

_"T-That was Hinamori's voice!"_

Without a moment to waste, he ran to where he heard her voice from. By the time he turned at the corner, he stopped and gasped. For some reason, Orihime, Rukia, and Momo are surrounded by a large group of male students. Judging from the school uniforms they're wearing, he determined them to be the students from the neighbouring school, North Rukon High.

Hitsugaya hissed between his teeth. He turned around and quickly ran back into the school premises. _"Shit, I can't take care of them all on my own. I have to get the others."_

"Stay back if you know what's good for you!" Kuchiki exclaimed as she extended an arm out in front of her two friends. "Leave us alone!"

"No way especially not after what you did to my shirt," one of them said.

"It was only an accident!"

"Yeah," Momo agreed. "We already said sorry!"

"Well, sorry doesn't cut it!"

"W-What should we do?" Inoue asked.

"Mou, this situation would have been much easier if Rangiku-san and Ichimaru-san were with us," Hinamori replied. She then raised her head to see the school building. _"If only Hitsugaya-kun was walking home with me today, this wouldn't happen in the first place. He would protect me since we're friends now, right?"_

"I'll deal with them," Rukia said. "In the meantime, you two run back into the school."

"W-What are you talking about? We can't abandon you, Kuchiki."

Orihime nodded with agreement. "Yeah Kuchiki-san!"

"Are you finished with the girl talk?" one of the delinquents asked. "Let's get to business, shall we?"

The girls gave them a serious look. Rukia took a step back and got into position, prepared to fight back when necessary. She narrowed her eyes and got ready for battle. _"Here they come." _

However, just as she is about to strike them, a few of them let out a loud grunt before falling to the ground. "W-What's going on?"

"Geez, you guys are nothing but cowards," said a voice.

Recognizing the voice, the girls looked ahead to see their male companions: Toshiro, Ichigo, Renji, and Izuru have come to their aid. "You guys..."

Kurosaki placed a hand on his hip and said, "Guys shouldn't be picking a fight against girls. So, how about you all deal with us instead?"

The delinquents turned around to face the four male students of Seireitei High. "You do understand what you just said? You're seriously outnumbered."

"Hn, really now?" Renji asked with a grin. "I think the man to man power is just right. Don't you agree, Ichigo?"

The other teenager grinned. "Oh yeah, I think so."

Toshiro closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. "We're not here to start a punching and kicking contest. We're all going to be suspended from participating in the next soccer match."

"Hitsugaya's right," Kira agreed. "We have to come up with another solution."

The white haired teenager began cracking his knuckles. "We're just going to scare the pants off them."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Kurosaki asked.

Hitsugaya flipped Hinamori's cell phone open and began pressing a few buttons. "We just need to call Matsumoto and Ichimaru. Once they're here, everything will be all solved."

Momo blinked. _"Eh, he has my phone."_

After pressing the talk button, he held the phone against his head.

"Besides, they're very useful at times like this."

All of a sudden, the delinquents started to make weird faces. One of them asked, "Eh, y-you know Rangiku Matsumoto and Gin Ichimaru?"

Toshiro put the phone down for a moment. He simply replied, "Yeah, is there a problem with that?"

Slowly, they all began stepping back. Seconds later, they all turned around, carried their unconscious companions, and ran away. "Iie, w-we're sorry for disturbing you!"

There was a short pause. "They ran away," Inoue said.

Renji hissed between his teeth. "That was so lame. I wanted to give them a beating or two."

"Oi, what's so scary about Matsumoto-san and Ichimaru-san?" Kira asked.

"They have their ways of blackmailing people," Toshiro replied, "even the ones that are not from our school."

"But how did you know that they know Rangiku-san and Ichimaru?" Kurosaki further questioned.

Hitsugaya suddenly let out a smirk. "Let's just say that I've known them long enough to know what they're up to these days."

As he walked over to the peach girl, Renji and Ichigo made strange looks on their faces. "Oh yeah, he's a genius alright."

Abarai nodded with agreement, but he added, "He's an evil genius to be more exact."

"Arigato minna-san," Momo said.

Kira smiled. "It's no problem, Hinamori-kun. We're just glad you guys weren't hurt or anything."

The raven haired girl smiled back and then became aware of Toshiro's presence. "Hitsugaya-kun..."

When the two eyes met, he held her cell phone and turned his head to the side. He said, "You dropped this at the schoolyard. Be careful next time, okay?"

Momo let out a soft smile and accepted his offer. "I will and thanks for picking it up."

"Hn, this is a good atmosphere," Orihime happily said. "Don't you think so, Kuchiki-san?"

"I guess so," Rukia replied. "However, I get the sensing feeling that there's a minor foulness to it as well."

"Eh, really?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Is that so?"

Hitsugaya lowered his head. "Maybe it's best for you...and the others to stay until I'm done practice. We can all walk home together."

"That's a good idea," Kira agreed. "The rest of us can walk you all home safely."

It is when Toshiro shot the pale blond haired teenager a quick glare. However, the younger teenager failed to realize it. Hinamori then quickly replied, "Weren't you planning to go somewhere and do some extra practice?"

Resuming his attention to the peach girl, Hitsugaya said, "I was, but I changed my mind. I don't want to over exert myself today."

"Oh..."

"So, you don't mind staying a little longer?"

She raised her hands up and shook her head. "Ah no, I don't mind at all!"

"Alright then, let's go back in the school premises."

"Oh shit, we're going to be late for soccer practice!" Renji exclaimed.

"Damn it, if the coach comes back and doesn't find us there, we're going to get punished!" Ichigo added.

"Let's hurry back!" Orihime said.

With that said, everyone went back to the school's soccer field. As the boys went back to practice, the girls watched them play as they waited to be walked home safely at the end of the day.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Itterashai**_ - I'll be back home soon,_** Hai**_ - Yes,_** Iie**_ - No, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Minna**_ - Everyone

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** Hn, Toshiro's feelings are fairly evident now. He just needs to realize that he's feeling jealous of a certain friend of his being together with Momo. xD Will he find out in the next chapter? Well, there's only one way to find out! Stay tuned for my next update! Please review! Thanks.


	12. Hyorinmaru and Tobiume

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! I'm sorry for taking so long to update; I was busy enjoying my summer vacation with my family and friends. Anyway, thank you for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **fayfan, Koneko144, Evertale, icyangel27, peachysnowFan, Lulu22Temmy, Koatan, anime16, becomeafan, azngurl133219, hitsugayataichoda **_(x2)_**, Reader-Favs, xXSennaXx, **and **Crystal183**. Without any further delay, here is chapter twelve. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Twelve:** Hyorinmaru and Tobiume

Momo raised an arm up to brush away some perspiration from her forehead. After letting out a deep sigh, she looked around the kitchen. She placed a hand on her hip and let out a content smile. "My job here is done; everything is all clean."

All of a sudden, she heard a sigh. Turning her head to the side, she noticed her white haired friend entering the room.

"Hitsugaya-kun, are you finished cleaning in the living room?"

"Yeah, I'm done." He took off his pale blue bandanna from his head and walked over to the dining table. He pulled out a chair and sat on it. "Out of all days, why does my mother have to go to work and leave us to do all this? We still have homework to finish."

"We still have plenty of time to do that. Besides, we have no more rooms to clean for today."

"In case you have forgotten, we still have to do the laundry and water the plants outside."

After a short pause, Momo placed a hand on the back of her head. She hesitantly laughed. "Oh yeah, we still have those things to do."

Toshiro closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. By the time he reopened them, he replied, "Anyway, which job do you want to do?"

Momo placed a finger on her chin. "Hn, I want to water the plants. However, are you going to be alright dealing with the laundry?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know..." Hinamori blushed. "...The female stuff."

Realizing what she meant, Hitsugaya turned a few shades darker and looked away. "Oh, that...um, don't worry; I'll be fine. Besides, my mother always asked me to separate all her clothes from mine."

"Oh, okay."

"Everything you're looking for is in the garage. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me."

She nodded. "Arigato Hitsugaya-kun."

With that said, he watched the younger teenager leave the kitchen. After hearing the front door open and shut, the white haired teenager lay back against his chair and sighed. Seconds later, he stood up from his seat and began walking to the laundry room. "It's time to deal with the last chore of the day."

By the time he arrived at his destination, he immediately got to work. Lucky for him, there is nothing much to laundry. He only has one load to do. After dumping all the dirty clothes into the washer, he poured some detergent and softener into the machine. Once he closed the door, he pressed the start button. As a result, the machine started up.

As he watched the clothes spin in circles in the washer, Toshiro folded his arms over his chest. After a few moments of silence, he turned his head to the side in the direction where his friend would be right now. At this time, Momo should be watering the front yard garden plants. After a few moments, he turned his attention back to the front where he noticed a calendar being hanged up on the wall. All of a sudden, he realized something. _"I see," _he thought. _"So, it has been this long since she started living here."_

After being around the girl for about three months, he has grown to accept her. Not only he is able to communicate with the younger teenager as if he has known her for a long time, but he treats her as one of his closest friends.

Hitsugaya walked to the living room to check up on Hinamori from the window. She is watering the plants with a watering pail while she is happily humming a random tune. At that moment, she looked in the opposite direction to him and became aware of his presence. She extended a hand up and waved at him. Seeing her so content, he couldn't help it, but crack a faint smile and wave back at her.

Once she focused on watering the plants again, the white haired teenager left the window sill and took a seat on the sofa. Taking the remote from the coffee table, he pointed the sensor at the television. He pressed a button and turned it on.

* * *

><p>The water sudden stopped running. Realizing that her watering pail needs to refill, she walked over to the backyard. After finding the hose tap, she filled her portable can tin with water. Once it is filled, she turned off the tap and returned to the front yard. At that moment, she noticed the peach tree. "Tobiume."<p>

Cracking a smile on her face, she walked over to the fruit tree and started watering it. She raised her head up to see the healthy green leaves and blooming flowers.

"I hope you bear a lot of delicious fruits this year."

"Hinamori-kun," said a voice.

Recognizing the person who is addressing to her, she turned to the side to find her pale blond haired classmate standing in front entrance of the Hitsugaya residence. "Kira-kun!"

She put the watering pail down and walked over to him.

"What brings you around here?"

"Oh, I just happened to be in the area after finishing a small errand," he replied.

"I see."

He looked around. "Where's Hitsugaya?"

"He's inside the house, doing the laundry. Do you want to talk to him?"

Suddenly, Izuru raised his hands up. "Ah no, it's alright."

There is a brief moment of silence.

"I-I need to ask you a big favour."

* * *

><p>Toshiro heard the sound of an alarm. Knowing that it is coming from the laundry room, he turned off the television with the remote. After doing a few arm stretches, he stood up from his seat and walked to the laundry room. He turned off the machine's power and began transferring the wet clothes to the dryer.<p>

By the time he's done, he put in some clothes freshener and started the machine. He waited a few minutes before retreating to his bedroom. However, he accidentally went into the wrong room. "Oops, this is Hinamori's room."

Then, he noticed something outside from her window. He walked over to the window sill to get a better look at the scenery below. All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed. For some reason, Kira came over and is talking to Hinamori. After letting out a hiss, he turned around only to lay eyes on the winged dragon plush which is sitting on the bed.

Something about the dragon made the white haired teenager stop and think. Where, in the world, has he seen it before? Subconsciously, he picked it up and stared at it. After a long moment of silence, he suddenly said a name, "Hyorinmaru."

At that moment, he started recalling the lost memories he has forgotten over the past ten years.

All of a sudden, he let out a soft gasp. Then, he slapped his hand against his forehead. _"How could I have forgotten about Hyorinmaru...and that Bed-Wetter for so long?"_

"It should be around here somewhere," he heard a voice. "Oh yeah, it's probably in my bedroom right now."

_"Oh shit,"_ he cursed. _"It's Hinamori."_

Hitsugaya panicked, frantically trying to find a place to hide. When he noticed the closet, he quickly ran over there and opened it. From there, he hid inside and closed the door to the closet. Leaning against the wall, he slowly slid down low enough to sit on his bottom. At that moment, he realized he is sitting holding his favourite plush in his arms.

_"Damn it, why did I bring it with me?"_

Then, he heard footsteps coming into the room. He leaned over and looked through the narrow opening that he made from not closing the door properly. There, he saw Momo entering her bedroom. "Are you sure it's okay for me to come into your room, Hinamori-kun?"

"It's just for a moment," she replied. "We won't be in here for long."

Toshiro's face suddenly turned into a frown as his grip on Hyorinmaru tightened. If it were a living thing, the poor dragon would have been suffocating in his grasp. He hissed between his teeth. "Eh, did you hear something?"

"Yeah, I did."

Realizing what he just did, Hitsugaya placed a hand over his mouth. After taking another look, he noticed the peach girl is coming this way. _"Shit!" _

He scooted deeper into the closet, hoping that she doesn't find him when she opens the door. At that moment, his back made contact with something. As a result, he flinched and glanced over his shoulder. It is when something fell on his head. By the time the door did open, he froze all movement and temporarily ceased his breathing.

Momo looked inside the closet to see if the noise is coming from in there. However, there is nothing that seems to be out of place. "Did you find it?"

Hinamori pulled back and closed the closet. She then returned to Kira's side. "No, it's probably our imagination."

"I see."

At that moment, Toshiro removed all of Hinamori's loose clothing from his head and let out a relived sigh. He quietly continued watching their actions and their conversation. Momo picked up a notebook from her desk and handed it over to her comrade. "Here you go."

"Thanks a lot."

She smiled. "It's no problem. I'm happy to help. Anyway, let's get out of here."

Just as she is about to leave, she felt something take hold of her wrist. Momo looked back to see Izuru. Once the two eyes met, the older teenager lowered his head.

"W-What's wrong, Kira-kun? Are you sick?"

The pale blond haired teenager shook his head and let go of her hand. "T-There's something important I need to talk to you about."

Momo turned around to face him. "Hn, what is it?"

Kira gulped. Despite feeling the heat from his cheeks, he suddenly said out loud, "I-I like you!"

In that instant, Toshiro's eyes widened upon surprise. He just heard his friend confess to his childhood friend. She blinked a few times before what he said dawned to her. "Eh?"

"I mean...I really really like you, Hinamori-kun!" he declared. "So, i-if you don't mind, p-please go out with me!"

There is a short pause. "B-Bu-"

"I know you're in love Hitsugaya, bu-but...can't you see that he may never remember all the good times you've spent together as children? Also, he only treats you as a close friend just like the rest of us." He placed his hands together on hers and raised them up. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said, "I know I might sound mean, but...I-I can't stand seeing you like this. You deserve better."

"Kira-kun..."

"Hinamori-kun, please give me a chance to make you happy."

_"Hinamori, say no,"_ Hitsugaya thought. _"We promised that when we see each other again, we will spend the rest of our lives together!"_

"I-I really don't know," Momo replied.

She lowered her head and stared at the floor. "What do you feel about me?"

When she resumed her attention to her classmate, she replied, "I like you, but..."

"...But?"

Once again, Hinamori fell silent and looked down. "It's just...If we were to take it to the next step, I don't think our relationship is going to work out."

"I see."

"I'm sorry; I-I need to get back to watering the plants outside."

With that said, the peach girl raced out the door. In a matter of seconds, Kira followed her out of the bedroom as well. By the time he heard them run downstairs, Hitsugaya finally got out of the closet. He closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh. Luck was on his side this time; he wasn't caught by her.

Wondering what happened to his two friends; Toshiro left the room and walked downstairs to find them. As he is walking down the stairs, he suddenly stopped. Hitsugaya looked down to see that he's still holding onto Hyorinmaru. _"Old habits die hard, huh?"_

He then shrugged his shoulders and continued walking to the lower level of the house. Just as he is about to enter the living room, he suddenly froze on the spot. Seeing that they haven't noticed his presence, Hitsugaya quickly retreated back into the hallway and leaned against the wall. His heart is racing and his breaths are deep. He leaned over to one side to take another look at Momo and Izuru.

At that moment, his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. They were kissing each other. _"No..."_

The two friends broke apart and dazed into each other's eyes. "Hinamori-kun..."

"Kira-kun..."

Silent filled the room. "For the past several months, I've worked hard to rebuild my relationship with Hitsugaya-kun. We managed to become really good friends now and that's a good thing. However, that is probably the furthest stage our relationship can develop into. Maybe...we're just meant to remain as friends."

Feeling sorry for the girl, Kira wrapped his arms around her. As he is comforting her, he whispered in her ear, "Thank you...for giving me a chance."

"...You're welcome."

While they shared a moment together, neither teenager realized the presence of their classmate. With his body turned away from them, Hitsugaya tilted his head forward and sighed with defeat. If he had remembered his past sooner, he wouldn't allow anyone get in his way of being together with her again. It is all because he loves her.

His free hand turned into a fist. _"You idiot, you should have realized it sooner."_

Toshiro glanced over his shoulder to see his friends talking and smiling together. He wanted to break them apart by causing uproar. However, seeing his childhood friend looking content, he dropped the idea. Instead, he quietly retreated to his bedroom with the decision of doing what's best for her and not what's best for him.

_"I hope you're happy with him, Hinamori."_

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><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Arigato**_ - Thank You

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Did you expect this to happen? Hn, probably. xD Anyway, now that Toshiro finally has his memory back, what is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned to my next update! Please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	13. Surprise Visit

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own is Kristina Smith.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Oh wow, I have over two hundred reviews for this story. Yay! _*tosses confetti into the air*_ Thank you everyone for all your support especially my latest reviewers: **xXSennaXx, icyangel27, azngurl113219, Koatan, peachysnowFan, Lulu22Temmy, Panchan, KiRsH KiRsH, KoKomimicHan, peachylovhshirochan98, Reader-Favs, toshiko-san21, anime16, hitsugayataichoda, HellionKyou, Crystal183, fayfan, becomeafan, Lavi-hime 4E -3, bengara-koushi **_(x2)_**, benette **_(x12)_**, Evertale, cherryblossom997, **and **Hyourinmaru10.** Without any further adieu, here is chapter thirteen of The Faithful Promise. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." _"Talking in a different language." _**Flash Back. **  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Thirteen:** Surprise Visit

Hearing the sound of the alarm, Hitsugaya groaned and turned his body to the side. He tried going back to sleep, but his alarm clock wouldn't stop ringing. After a few moments, he growled with frustration. He turned to the other side and silenced the sound with a single touch of his hand. He slowly opened his eyes to see the time. It is seven thirty in the morning.

He wanted to sleep in, but no thanks to school, he has to wake up. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms up into the air. After letting out a soft yawn, he got out of bed and walked over to his half opened closet. He picked out his school uniform and dragged himself out of his bedroom. By the time he made it to the washroom, he noticed the door was closed. Wondering who is in there, he raised a fist up and gently knocked on the door. "Yes?"

Recognizing her voice, his senses immediately went on high alert. "Hinamori, how long have you been in there?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," she replied. "I'll be out in a few seconds."

Seeing that he has no other choice, he took a step back and patiently waited for the peach girl to come out. Once she did, the first thing that Toshiro did was focus all his attention at her.

"Hitsugaya-kun, what's wrong?"

Realizing what he was doing, he quickly regained his composure and said, "You...changed your hairstyle to a ponytail."

"Yeah, I did. Do you like it?"

He turned his head to the side so that he can hide the faint blush on his cheeks. "It's...fine by me."

She smiled. "That's good to hear. I was really worried that you might not like it."

"What if I didn't?"

"I would have to stay in the washroom a little longer."

"Oh..."

"Anyway, you can use the washroom now."

"Ah yeah..."

With that said, Momo started humming a random tune and happily went downstairs. After watching her leave, Hitsugaya sighed with defeat. It has been two weeks since he witnessed Kira's confession to Hinamori. Since then, the raven haired girl have become a lot more happier much to his content. She started coming home late. If he had to guess, she probably spent all that time being with Izuru.

All of a sudden, he slapped a hand over his forehead and eyes. _"Idiot, this is not the time to get jealous. As long as she's happy, you're happy. Get over it and move on with your life."_

"Lil'Shiro, are you awake yet?"

Hearing his mother's voice from downstairs, he put his hand down and hollered back, "Yes Okaa-san, I'm coming down in a few minutes!"

"You better hurry up or else the food is going to get cold!"

"I know!"

Toshiro sighed before walking into the washroom. "Why does caring mothers like her always have to worry about their child's well-being?"

* * *

><p>After taking a quick shower, Hitsugaya got changed to his school uniform and returned to his bedroom. He made the bed and gathered his books into his bag. Once he is done, he noticed his dragon plush sitting on the corner of his workspace. After being away from her room for two weeks, she still hasn't noticed its disappearance. "She'll remember...soon enough," he said. "You just have to wait patiently, Hyorinmaru."<p>

With that said he left his bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He found Momo and Naomi sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast. By the time the female Hitsugaya noticed, she raised her head and happily greeted, "Ohayo Lil'Shiro!"

Toshiro made a face and took a seat beside Hinamori. "Stop calling me by that nickname, Okaa-san. It's embarrassing."

"What is there to be embarrassed about?" Naomi asked. "You should be long used to having Momo-chan around the house."

The white haired teenager sighed with defeat. He picked up his chopsticks and rice bowl from the table and began eating. In the meantime, Hinamori stood up from her seat.

"Ah Momo-chan, you're finished eating already?"

The peach girl picked up her empty bowl, chopsticks, and dirty plates from the table and carried them over to the kitchen sink. She replied, "Yep, the food was delicious."

Naomi nodded. "That's good to hear."

After leaving her dishes into the sink, she ran upstairs to her bedroom to get her school bag. Once she is gone, Naomi turned her attention to her son.

"So Toshiro, how are things going with you and Momo-chan?"

He stopped eating for a moment to shoot her a glare. "Things are...pretty normal for us."

"That's it?" she asked.

"Yes, what else are you expecting?"

"I could have sworn that you two are dating right now."

"Hah?"

"Besides, Momo-chan seemed happier lately."

At that moment, Hitsugaya kept his eyes away from his mother. Hearing her mention about his friend's behaviour caused the memories of the recent events to resurface in his thoughts. "Is that so?"

"Yup, do you have any idea what happened?"

"...Not really."

Then, she noticed something particular about her precious one. "Toshiro, is there something wrong?"

He turned his attention to her. "What are you talking about?"

"You seemed...distracted about something," Naomi said. "You know it's healthy for you to share your feelings with someone else opposed to bottling it up inside."

"I know," he replied. "You said that many ti-"

"Hitsugaya-kun, let's go to school!" a voice interrupted. "We'll be late if we don't leave now!"

Seeing the raven haired girl dash to the front entrance, Toshiro stood up from his seat and picked up his bag. "Okay, I'm coming!"

He resumed his attention to his mother.

"We'll talk about this some other time."

"Alright then," Naomi said. "You better tell me soon or else I'm going to have to force it out of you."

Hitsugaya followed his childhood friend to the front entrance to put on his footwear. "You're late for work, Okaa-san."

Realizing the time (from looking at the nearest clock), Naomi immediately stood up from her seat and exclaimed, "Ah, you're right!"

As they watched the elder Hitsugaya scramble to get ready, Momo opened the door and said, "We'll be back soon!"

"Have a great day!"

After hearing her say that, they left the house and headed off to school together. "Do you have soccer practice after school today?"

"The coach gave us a few days rest," he replied. "We just beat the number two seeded team in a friendly match. It wasn't easy."

"I see."

All of a sudden, he heard something. Hitsugaya stopped and turned around to look. However, nothing appears to be out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong?"

Toshiro didn't reply right away because he was busy scanning the area. His eyes narrowed with great suspicion. Even though he doesn't see it, his instincts are telling him otherwise. Somebody is definitely watching them. After a short moment, he resumed his attention to the front and continued walking. "No, it's probably my imagination."

As they continued their way to school, Hitsugaya glanced over his shoulder to check his surroundings. Then, he resumed his attention to the front. Today, he needs to be on high alert. If Hinamori is going to get dragged into this possible mess, he will be there to protect her.

* * *

><p>Momo looked at the watch on her cell phone to check the time. She raised her head up and smiled with delight. "Thank goodness we still have time before our classes start."<p>

"Did you have something to do first?" Toshiro asked.

The younger teenager nodded. "I have to return a book to the library. It's due today."

"You still have the whole day to do that."

"I know, but I'm afraid I'm going to forget about it later."

"I see."

"Oi Hinamori-kun," called out a voice. "Wait up!"

Hearing the familiar voice behind them, Momo and Toshiro turned around to see Izuru approaching them. As Hinamori's face lightened up, Hitsugaya made a face. He soon let out a soft hiss and turned his head to the side. The blond haired teenager just ruined his mood. On the bright side, neither Izuru or Momo seem to have noticed his behaviour change.

In the meantime, the peach girl joined her classmate. "Ohayo Kira-kun!"

"Ohayo," Kira greeted. "You look nice today."

"Thanks, do you like my new hairstyle?"

He nodded. "It looks good on you. You should keep your hair tied that way more often."

"Ohayo."

Suddenly, the two teenagers became aware of the white haired prodigy. "Oh, hey Hitsugaya. I didn't notice you were here."

He then gave the male teenager a look. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"Of course, it's not," he replied, raising his hands up. "I was just...a bit oblivious."

"It better be."

"What's wrong, Hitsugaya-kun?" Momo asked, suddenly aware of his foul-like mood. "You seemed to be in a bad mood all of a sudden."

"Oh no, it's nothing really important," Toshiro lied. "It's probably the school stress getting to my head. I didn't study...that well last night in preparation for this afternoon's English test."

"English test?" Kira asked. "Oh yeah, we have to write one later."

Suddenly, a thought came into mind.

"Aren't you doing fine in English?"

"Yeah, but you know..." He draped his bag over one of his shoulders. "...learning a new language isn't an easy task even for someone like me."

"That's a good point."

Hitsugaya turned away from the young couple and silently sighed. He is lucky to have come up with that excuse. The last he wants is for them to figure out his true feelings. If things were to go otherwise, he would have lost himself and started a physical fight against Izuru. "You can go ahead to class first, Hitsugaya-kun."

Hearing Momo's voice, he turned his attention to her.

"We'll catch up with you soon enough."

_"They're probably spending time together again,"_ he thought. "Oh, okay..."

She smiled. "I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Yeah..."

With that said, he turned to the side and started walking into the school premises. Along the way, he took a quick glance over his shoulder to see his childhood friend talking with Kira. Then, they started laughing together. When he resumed his attention to the front, he shook his head and continued his way inside the school building alone.

* * *

><p>After hearing the sound of the school bell, Toshiro sighed with relief. Aside from keeping his temper and emotions in check around Kira and Hinamori, today has been a fairly typical day at school. While he is gathering his belongs, Momo turned to her friend and said, "I need to stop by at the library first."<p>

The white haired teenager then gave her a look. "Let me guess: you forgot to return the book this morning."

Hinamori placed a hand on the back of her head and hesitantly laughed. "Yeah, I sort of did."

He sighed with defeat. "Alright, I'll wait outside at the front gates."

With a short nod, he resumed his attention to putting away his notebooks and writing utensils into his bag. Once he is done, Hitsugaya stood up from his seat and draped his carrying bag over his shoulder.

"I'll see you later."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai."

He gave her a short smile before he made his way over to the door. "Yo Hitsugaya, wait up."

Hearing Renji's voice, he stopped and turned around.

"There's no need to rush." The red headed teenager stood up from his seat and walked over to him. "Besides, it's not like we have soccer practice today."

As Abarai continued talking, Hitsugaya looked over his friend's shoulder and noticed Hinamori talking to Kira. His eyes narrowed dangerously as if he's ready to hunt down his prey. However, he soon closed his eyes and turned around. Unable to watch any longer, he left the classroom.

"Oi, are you even listening?" Seeing that his white haired companion obviously isn't, Renji sighed with defeat and followed his lead. "Man, you're just too hard to deal with sometimes."

By the time he came out, he noticed Hitsugaya. He is being confronted by their friends from class 2-3: Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime. "Yo Toshiro," Kurosaki said. "You look a bit pissed off. What happened?"

He stopped and raised his head. He shot a quick glare at him. "Nothing happened."

Ichigo then placed a hand on his hip and returned the glare with his own. "Well, your response is not convincing me."

His glare suddenly turned icier. "Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't feel like telling you."

The two teenagers glared at one another like two cowboys anxiously waiting for the shotgun showdown to start. Rukia and Orihime looked at each other before resuming their attentions to the two males. Inoue held her hands together and raised them up.

Soon, Kurosaki closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. "Fine, do what you want."

As they watched him walk by them, Rukia commented, "He has been like that lately."

"That's an understatement," Ichigo replied. "He's like that on a normal basis."

"Even though he's like that most of the time," Orihime said, "don't you get the feeling that he's acting more...colder than usual?"

The group of teenagers leaned over to look at Hitsugaya before they turned to each other. Renji placed a hand on his chin and said, "Come to think of it, you do have a point."

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you can help me."

Hearing the voice, Toshiro and the rest of his friends looked over to see a blond curly haired foreigner talking to two of their schoolmates. "I-I-My name...is..."

"I don't want to know your name!" she exclaimed. She growled with frustration and placed her hands on her hips. "Sheesh, isn't there someone here who understands my language? All I want is for someone to introduce me to Toshiro Hitsugaya."

When he heard the girl call out his name, Hitsugaya looked at her and blinked. _"Why does she want meet me for?"_

Renji leaned over to Kurosaki and asked, "Yo Ichigo, do you have any idea what she is saying?"

The orange haired teenager shook his head. "I have no idea."

Orihime placed a finger over her lips and thought for a moment. "I think she's speaking in English."

"English?" Renji asked.

"That's what I was thinking too," Rukia agreed. "No wonder the language she speaks sounds oddly familiar."

Toshiro approached the foreigner and said, "I'm Hitsugaya. Who might you be and why do you want to meet me so badly?"

Renji closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. "How come I'm not surprised that Hitsugaya understands and is fluent in English?"

"Well, he is a prodigy," Ichigo said, "and he has excellent grades in English class."

The blond haired female blinked for a moment. Suddenly, she folded her arms over her chest and let out a smirk on her face. "Hn, isn't this interesting? So, you're Momo's fiancé."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. All of a sudden, a thought came into mind and replied, "By any chance, you're one of Hinamori's friends from Am-"

"Eh Kristina, is that you?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Hitsugaya and the others turned around to see Kira and Hinamori. With a big smile on her face, the peach girl ran up to the foreigner and gave her a tight hug.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe this! You came to visit me!"

"Yes, I couldn't wait any longer," the excited teenager exclaimed. "So, I took the liberty to see you here in Japan!"

"Wow, that's so great!" Hinamori replied. "So, how long you're planning on staying here?"

"Actually, I have to catch tonight's flight back to New York."

"Already?"

She nodded. "I landed here a few days ago and went searching for you. However, I ran into difficulties and everything."

"Oh, so you recently found out I was here."

Once again, Kristina Smith nodded with agreement. "Yep."

All of a sudden, they heard someone clearing their throat. The two girls turned around to see Toshiro, Izuru, and the others watching them. It is when a thought dawned to her. "Ah, I'm sorry."

She raised her hand up.

"This is my friend from America. Her name is Kristina Smith." Momo then turned to Kristina. "These are all my friends: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Izuru Kira, and Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Yo," Ichigo greeted.

"It's nice to meet you," Orihime added.

"G-Good bye," Renji said.

"Idiot," Rukia scolded. "You're supposed to say hello to her!"

The red haired teenager blushed. He quickly retorted, "Sh-Shut up, I knew that! I was just...testing you!"

Kuchiki then made a sly look on her face. "Sure you did..."

Kristina smiled. She's glad to see that her friend is doing well here. Then, she turned her attention to Toshiro.

"I made more friends while I'm here," Momo explained. "I'll introduce them to you if we end up meeting them."

However, Kristina wasn't listening. She was too busy watching Hitsugaya's actions. "Hn, yeah..."

On the other hand, Toshiro is aware of her presence. _"She's definitely mad at me and I have a pretty good idea what it is regarding..."_

"Kristina?"

She snapped back to reality and looked at Hinamori. "I'm okay! I just want to talk to you privately for a moment. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not!" The raven haired girl then turned to her friends. "Sorry, can you excuse me for a bit? I'll be right back."

But before they could say anything, Momo already ran off with Kristina. They sighed with defeat. "Well, I guess it can't be helped," Ichigo said. "They haven't seen each other for a while."

"They might take a while," Abarai replied.

"So Hitsugaya, are you planning on waiting for Hinamori-kun?" Kira asked.

Toshiro then looked at Izuru. "That's pretty obvious; what about you?"

He smiled. "I don't mind."

"...I see."

"Okay then, we'll see you tomorrow," Ichigo said.

"Bye everyone!" Inoue said while waving good bye. "We'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Later," Renji replied.

"Ja ne," Rukia said.

Hitsugaya and Kira waved their farewells and watched their friends leave. Once they are gone, they leaned against the wall on one side and patiently waited for Hinamori's return. Toshiro sighed with defeat. _"This is going to be one hell of a long wait."_

* * *

><p><span>"So, how are things going between you and Hitsugaya?"<span> Kristina asked.

Momo suddenly stopped walking. "Eh?"

"I checked him out a while ago," she said. "He definitely does not fit your description."

Hinamori lowered her head and let out a faint smile. "Yeah, I realized that on my first day here."

"He should act more...loving towards you. Besides, you two are meant to be together."

"Actually, there is something important I need to tell you," Momo explained. "He has forgotten about me."

There is a short pause.

"Eh, you're serious?"

The peach girl slowly nodded with agreement and replied, "Please don't hold it against him; it's not his fault."

"Are you sure?"

Again, she nodded. "I have already got over it and moved on. Now, we're just friends."

"Momo..."

Suddenly, Hinamori let out a smile on her face. "Anyway, we should head back. My other friends are waiting for me."

"Ah yeah..."

"Alright then, let's go!"

As the raven haired girl is walking ahead of her, Kristina looked down on the floor. After a brief moment, she made a fist with her hand and raised her head up. In her mind, she has made an important decision. For the sake of her friend, she is going to give a piece of her mind to Hitsugaya when they have a moment to talk.

* * *

><p>After meeting up with the two boys, they all left the school building and headed over to Hitsugaya's house together. Along the way, Momo is chatting with Izuru while Toshiro is quietly listening to the conversation. On the other hand, Kristina is busy watching him. All of a sudden, Hinamori stopped in front of a convenience store. "Hey, let's buy some snacks here and eat them at the park."<p>

"That's a good idea," Izuru said. "I'll go in with you."

"Okay." She turned to Hitsugaya. "Do you want to come in as well?"

Toshiro shook in head. "No, it's okay. I'll wait here."

"Alright." She then looked at Kristina. "We'll be right back. In the meantime, wait here with Hitsugaya."

The foreigner gave her a thumb up. "Okay!"

Momo smiled and went inside the store with Izuru, leaving the foreigner and the prodigy together. For the first few minutes, neither teenager spoke with one another. It remained that way until Kristina suddenly became angry. She took her small carrying purse which is hanging on the side and whacked it against the older teenager's cheek. Hitsugaya immediately felt the pain and placed a hand against it. He then turned his attention to the side and snapped at her, "Ouch, what the hell was that for?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she simply replied.

"For what?"

"You broke Momo's heart."

Hearing her say that caused the prodigy to recall his first meeting with Momo (after being apart for ten years). He put his hand down and fell silent. Soon, he lowered his head in shame.

"Even if you don't remember your past with her, you had the time to recreate that bond you had before and develop it into something more. Don't you understand the feelings she buried in her heart for so long?"

Again, he didn't speak.

Unable to bear with it any longer, she raised her hand up and slapped against the same cheek. Hitsugaya did not make any effort to protect himself. "Answer me!"

Eventually, the prodigy raised his head up and said, "Of course I understand her feelings."

Kristina growled. "Then, why don't you love her back?"

"...Because Hinamori has feelings for someone else right now."

"What are you talking about?" the foreigner exclaimed. "Momo loves yo-"

Hitsugaya interrupted, "She has moved on and started a relationship with Kira."

Those words caught her by surprise. "W-Wait, what?"

"They're dating right now."

Suddenly, Kristina found herself in a difficult situation to grasp. "Y-You mean she's going out with the blond haired guy that is currently inside the store with her?"

Toshiro nodded with agreement. "Yes."

Once again, the two teenagers fell silent. He tilted his head forward to look down at his feet.

"She deserves to be with him especially after what I have done to ruin our relationship."

It is when the blond haired female recalled the words Hinamori said a while ago.

**_"I have already got over it and moved on. Now, we're just friends."_**

"So, you do remember what happened ten years ago."

"Unfortunately, I remembered too late."

There is a short pause.

"Why don't you try fighting for her back?" Kristina asked.

"If I do, I'll only make her confused," Toshiro replied after raising his head up. "Also, I can see that things won't be pretty once Kira's dragged into the situation."

She sighed with defeat. "Now, I can see why Momo held onto her feelings for you for so long before...she gave up on you. You're really a kind person, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

He merely shrugged his shoulders. "You're just being modest."

"Now, I'm feeling sorry for you."

"I'll get over it somehow. If not, I'll hide it until I die."

The younger teenager let out a soft smile. "Good luck with that."

"Thank you. I know I need it."

"Sorry for taking so long!" said a voice. Toshiro and Kristina turned to the side to see Kira and Hinamori out of the convenience store with two small bags of food. "We had trouble deciding what to buy."

"That's fine," Hitsugaya replied. "We managed to pass the time somehow by talking, isn't that right?"

Smith nodded with agreement and played along with his lying game. "Oh yes, your friend here is a great guy once you get to know him."

"Sugoi Hitsugaya-kun," Hinamori said. "I never knew you were that fluent in English."

Toshiro placed a hand on his hip and turned his head to the side. "Yeah, but I still have a long way to go. My English doesn't compare to yours."

Momo smiled. "That's true."

Kira smiled as well. "Well, let's get going to the park."

"Hai!"

Kristina leaned over to Momo and asked, "What did he say?"

"We're going to the park to eat all the food we bought." 

"Oh, okay!" she cheerfully said. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p><span>"Even though I'm having a great time, I have to get going now,"<span> Kristina said. "I have to be at the airport by seven."

"Oh okay," Momo said. "I'll go with you to the airpo-"

"No, it's okay. I've already called a taxi. It's coming in about a minute."

"Oh...I'll see you again someday, right?"

She smiled. "Of course."

Smith then turned to Kira and Hitsugaya. "It's a pleasure meeting you two, my Japanese friends. Be sure to take good care of my dear friend Momo, okay? She tends to be a bit of a klutz sometimes."

"Hey!"

Toshiro let out a soft snort. "It's nice meeting you too, Kristina."

She leaned over to the white haired teenager and whispered so that neither Momo or Izuru could hear, "Take care of yourself."

The American quickly pulled back and gave him a wink.

"If you ever come to America, be sure to call me," she said. "I'll give you all one hell of a great time there."

"We'll...keep that in mind."

"Hope to see...um, you again soon," Izuru said. "And sorry for...speaking bad English."

Kristina smiled. "You're doing alright for a regular Japanese person. You just have to keep working on it. Soon enough, you'll be as fluent as Toshiro and Momo."

The blond haired teenager let out a hesitant laugh. "Ah yeah..."

All of a sudden, everyone heard the sound of a car horn. "Well, that must be my ride."

She began leaving the three Japanese teenagers and waved them good bye.

"Bye everyone!"

"Bye Kristina!" Hinamori said, waving her friend a warm farewell.

Soon enough, her American friend is far beyond their sight. Momo lowered her hand and let out a sigh. "What's wrong, Hinamori-kun?" Kira asked. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, it's nothing really important," she replied. "I'm just feeling a bit sad. If I knew she was here earlier, we would have spent more time together."

"It can't be helped. You didn't know."

She sighed again. "Yeah, you're right."

He smiled. "Anyway, I better get going. It's really getting late for me."

"Alright."

"I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Kira-kun and thanks for hanging out with us today."

"It's no problem. See ya!"

"Ja ne," Toshiro said.

With that said, the two childhood friends are left. "Anyways, let's head back to your place."

"Yeah..."

They started walking. "By the way, what did you and Kristina talked about?"

Hitsugaya merely shrugged his shoulder. "Oh, it's nothing really important."

"Are you sure? Kira-kun and I took a while in the store. So, there had to be something interesting that you guys talked about."

He soon sighed with defeat. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Okay!"

"We were talking about...the difference between Japanese and American cultures."

"...that's it?"

"Yup," he lied. "Apparently, she was having a difficult time understanding why we do certain things."

"Oh, okay..."

He let out a soft sigh. _"That was a close one." _

"Do you think your mother is going to be mad at us once we get home?"

"Hn, probably not..."

"Why not?"

"She's probably assuming that we went on a nice date with each other."

Those words hurt him inside. If only that were to happen in reality, it would have made him happy. "Oh...yeah..."

By the time they've arrived at their destination, Toshiro took out his house keys and inserted it into the lock. After turning it to the side, he opened the door and pulled the key out. Soon after, they stepped inside the house and closed the door behind them. "Tadaima!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Ohayo**_ - Good Morning, _**Hai -**_ Yes, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye _(informal/casual)_, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, _**Tadaima**_ - I'm home

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Poor Toshiro...things aren't going easy for him. Anyway, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	14. Frustrations

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya and Kristina Smith.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! I'm back with another update of The Faithful Promise. Special thanks to everyone for being so patient especially my wonderful reviewers: **Crystal183, azngurl113219, KhempriIrisi, peachysnowFan, xXSennaXx, Aurelia Artemee, Evertale, icyangel27, anime16, Lulu22Temmy, Koatan, KiRisH KiRisH, fayfan, **and **Reader-Favs**. Without any further delays, here is chapter fourteen. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." _"Talking in a different language." _**Minor Flash Back.**  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Fourteen:** Frustrations

The school bell rung, marking the end of another day of school. Students of Seireitei High let out sighs of relief before getting ready to leave the premises with their friends. "Hitsugaya-kun."

Hearing his voice being called, the white haired prodigy looked over to see the peach girl. "Hn, what is it Hinamori?"

Then, she gave him a look.

"W-What's wrong?"

All of a sudden, she placed her hands together and bowed her head. She apologized, "I'm sorry, but I have a few things to do after school. You can go home first."

"Oh okay," Toshiro replied. "I'll see you at home."

"Arigato Shir-I mean Hitsugaya-kun!" she said. "I'll see you soon!"

Toshiro nodded with agreement and gave her a short farewell wave. Once she is gone, he closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. _"She was about to call me by that nickname." _

He reopened his eyes.

_"Then again, she's only saying that out of habit."_

"Hey Hinamori-kun, are you ready to go?"

Recognizing the voice, he turned his head to the side to see his two friends talking to one another. Momo nodded with agreement. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Kira-kun. I had to inform Hitsugaya-kun or else he'll wait for me."

"It's alright," he replied. "So, shall we get going?"

Momo smiled. "Hai!"

As he watched them leave the classroom, Toshiro made a serious look on her face. By the time they're gone, he resumed his task of packing his belongings into his bag. _"Calm down, there is no point in showing your temper here." _

All of a sudden, he heard the slide door slam open. When he turned his head to the side, he saw his strawberry orange haired upperclassman march up to him. She quickly grab hold of his wrist and said, "Toshiro Hitsugaya, we need to talk."

As she is pulling him towards the door, Hitsugaya grabbed his bag and followed her out. "Oi Matsumoto, what the hell do we need to talk about and where are you taking me?"

However, the older student didn't answer. As a result, the young prodigy sighed with defeat. He'll find out the answer soon enough.

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><p>After a few minutes, Rangiku finally let go of his head. He looked around and soon found himself somewhere in the back of the school. He then laid eyes on his group of friends who are also present. "Oi Rangiku-san," Ichigo said. "Why did you call us out here?"<p>

Renji placed a hand on his hip and further commented, "It better be important this time."

"I have guitar lessons soon," Hisagi said.

"Of course it's important!" Matsumoto replied. "As a matter of fact, I haven't even spread the news to the entire school yet!"

"Oh really?" Ichimaru asked. "Then, it must be important. What is the latest gossip you managed to get your hands on this time?"

She joined the circle of friends and gave them a serious look. A few seconds later, she pulled up a photograph and showed it to everyone. "This is the latest scoop I have uncovered recently!"

Everyone leaned closer to get a better look at the picture. While most of the students had surprised looks on their faces, Gin let out a wide grin on his face. "Hn, how interesting..."

"Y-You're serious?" Renji asked.

Hitsugaya sighed for a moment before replying to the strawberry orange haired woman. "So?"

"So? That's all you have to say?" Matsumoto exclaimed. "You should be upset that Hinamori cheated on you for Kira!"

"I'm not upset," he replied. Then, he turned his back away from his schoolmates and shrugged his shoulders. "As a matter of fact, I am happy for her. At least, she stopped nagging me about the past."

Without any warning, Rangiku placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. She raised a hand up and closed it, forming a fist. "Ou, I want to throw a fist at you! Doesn't that faithful promise mean anything to you?"

_"Yes, it does now..."_ Toshiro thought. "I don't care!"

"You little smart ass genius!"

Just as Matsumoto is about to start a fight with the white haired teenager, their surrounding friends grabbed onto her. They restricted the butsy teenager from beating the young prodigy into a pulp. "Oi Rangiku," Hisagi said. "Stop this!"

"Yeah Rangiku-san," Orihime agreed. "Friends aren't supposed to hurt one another!"

Hitsugaya quietly watched Matsumoto's actions. He soon sighed with defeat and replied, "Even if I did have an interest in her, I don't have a right to break Hinamori's current happiness."

Rangiku froze for a moment.

"Besides, Kira and Hinamori are happy together. As friends, isn't our job to support them?"

Feeling that it is safe, everyone let the woman go. She gave him a hard look. Then, she suddenly asked, "You have feelings for her now, don't you?"

All of a sudden, all eyes are on the white haired prodigy. Inoue asked, "Eh, Toshiro-kun likes Hinamori-san?"

Hitsugaya didn't answer. He continued looking at the strawberry orange haired woman. Eventually, he closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. He took his eyes off her and finally replied, "It's not now; I've probably always had these feelings her. It's just...I had selfishly forgotten about it over the past ten years."

_"Hitsugaya..." _Rangiku thought. "It seems like you have remembered the promise you made with her a long time ago. Knowing that, why don't you fight for her back?"

"There's no need to do that. As long as she's happy, then I am too."

Matsumoto folded her arms over her chest. "I've known for so long, yet this is the first time I'm seeing you acting this pathetic."

Toshiro gave her a look. "Make fun of me all you want. I don't care."

Her eyes suddenly turned serious. "You're obviously miserable and it's only going to get worse. Can't you see that you're meant to be with Hinamori just like the promise you made with her?"

"Yeah yeah, but promises are meant to be broken sometimes," Toshiro replied. "Not everyone's life is going to end happily."

"Okay, I can't take this anymore."

Without any warning, she dropped her bag on the ground and grab hold onto his collar shirt. She pushed him to the wall causing him to drop his as well. As a result, the others became alarmed. Orihime exclaimed, "R-Rangiku-san!"

"Oi oi," Ichigo said.

"We have to stop the-" Hisagi said.

However, Ichimaru interrupted, "No, let them be. That's how they usual solve things."

"Ichimaru-san," Inoue worryingly replied before turning to the two long time friends.

"What happened to the real Toshiro Hitsugaya that worked hard for his beliefs?" Matsumoto asked. "What happened to the genius who always knew what to do while the rest of us don't?"

Hitsugaya didn't answer; he kept his eyes away from her.

"Answer me, you miserable jerk!"

He then made eye contact with the older student. He finally said, "I have nothing to say."

Rangiku growled with frustration. "Okay, forget this."

She let him go and turned around.

"I'm not dealing with this lost cause any longer."

With that said, she picked up her bag and began walking off.

"Rangiku-san, wait up!" Orihime said.

"Let's go Inoue," Rukia replied.

She nodded with agreement. "Hai!"

The two younger students ran after the third year student.

Abarai sighed and placed a hand on his waist. He said to the white haired prodigy, "Nice going..."

Hitsugaya fixed the position of his tie. "Thanks I suppose..."

"You do know that Rangiku-san has a point, right?" Ichigo asked.

"Whatever...it's my life." He put his hands down and stuffed them into his pants pockets. "I'll live the way I want to."

"...Suit yourself."

With that said, the other guys soon followed the girls' example. Toshiro then shot a glare at Gin, who is still standing in his presence. Ichimaru said, "If I were you, I would shove all the miseries down my throat and do what your feelings truly wanted to do."

"What does that supposed to mean?"

A grin appeared on his face. "Judging from the way things are right now, it doesn't seem that she's aware that you've recovered your memories. Am I right, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"So?"

"You should at least tell her that you remember her now and apologize for all the bad things you've done in the recent past."

Toshiro didn't answer.

"Anyway, that's my suggestion." Gin began walking away. "Bye bye!"

As he watched the other prodigy leave, Hitsugaya thought carefully about his words. He soon closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. After picking up his bag from the ground, he draped it over one shoulder and began walking home on his own.

* * *

><p>Naomi Hitsugaya is sitting on the living room couch, reading a newspaper when she heard the front door open and close. Once she turned her head to the side, the loving mother noticed her son walking by the room. "Welcome home Lil'Shiro! How was school today?"<p>

He stopped and look at her. "It's alright I guess..."

"Where's Momo-chan?"

"She's still at school. Apparently, she needed to run a few errands first. She'll be home a little later. Don't worry; she'll be walking home with one of our friends."

"Oh, I see."

Toshiro resumed his attention to the front and walked upstairs to his bedroom. His actions concerned her.

_"He's didn't bother to correct me. Something's definitely bothering him."_

Naomi folded her arms over her chest and thought for a moment. Soon, she placed her newspaper on the table and stood up from the couch. She slowly made her way upstairs to check up on her son.

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He placed his bag on the study table and continued walking to the bed. From there, he tossed his body onto the mattress and laid there. Toshiro let out a sigh and turned his head to the side. His dragon plush is sitting there in his presence. Hitsugaya extended his hand out and grabbed winged plush. After pulling it towards him, he held onto his non-living companion. "We're in the same boat now, Hyorinmaru. That Bed-Wetter has forgotten about us."

He closed his eyes and sighed once more.

"This is so frustrating. I can't seem to get over it."

It is when he heard the sound of his door slowly opening. He looked over to see his mother, Naomi checking up on him.

Hitsugaya gave her a look before turning his body away from her. "If you're trying to feed me, just leave it off to the side somewhere. I'll eat it later when I'm hungry."

The female Hitsugaya closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She leaned against the door sill on her side and folded her arms over her chest. She asked, "Did something happen at school that got you to act this day?"

"Problems at school are the least of my worries."

"Then, tell me; what's wrong?" Naomi asked. "Before you object, I'll tell you this: it's better for you to speak out your problems rather than bottle it up inside."

"I know Okaa-san," Toshiro replied. "You don't need to remind me about that issue."

"In that case, you'll tell me your problem."

"No."

Naomi made a face. "Oi, that is not the response I'm looking for."

"I'm just...not ready to talk about it yet."

"Oh..."

There is a short pause. "Sorry, but I want to be alone for a bit."

_"Toshiro..." _Naomi closed her eyes and sighed with defeat. "Very well then."

With that said, she left the room and quietly closed the door. Hitsugaya turned his body to the other side to double check. Once he knew she is gone, he closed his eyes. He decided to take a short nap, hoping that he'll forget about all the frustrations that are clouding his thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Tadaima!"<p>

"Okaeri Momo-chan," Naomi greeted. "How was school today?"

The peach girl walked into the kitchen to find her guardian peeling vegetables in the kitchen sink. "It's great!"

The female Hitsugaya smiled. "That's good to hear."

Hinamori pulled up a chair and took a seat at the dining table. "Where's Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Oh, he locked himself in his bedroom."

"Eh, really?"

"Yup," she replied. "When I saw him, he isn't acting like his usual self."

"Oh, could he be sick or something?"

"If he was sick, I would have prevented him from going to school this morning."

Momo placed her hands together. "...I see."

"I tried asking him when I went into his room," Naomi explained. "However, he refused to say anything."

"That's not nice."

"Yeah, but it goes to show that even he has troubles to deal with."

The peach girl sighed. "I guess so."

There is a short pause. "Can you do a favour for me and ask him what's wrong? Maybe he would give you an answer instead of me."

"I could try."

Naomi smiled. "Arigato Momo-chan. It's greatly appreciated."

* * *

><p>Toshiro opened his eyes in response to a faint sound he's hearing. He looked over to the door, thinking that it's coming from there. However, he didn't hear the sound again. He got comfortable in his bed and closed his eyes again. Just as he is about to go back to sleep, he heard the sound again. He opened his eyes and quickly sat up. The sound he heard was the door being knocked. "Hitsugaya-kun, are you busy right now?"<p>

_"It's Hinamori,"_ he thought. "Uh no, you can come in."

At that moment, the white haired teenager looked down and realized that he's still holding onto Hyorinmaru. He immediately panicked and began looking around for a place to put it. Then, he heard a clicking sound.

_"Shit, she's opening the door!" _

He turned to the side and hastily hid his dragon plush under his pillow. In addition, he covered that pillow with another one. "Are you alright, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Hearing her voice, he quickly turned around to meet her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Realizing that he is dazzled by her natural beauty, he snapped back to reality and quickly replied, "I-I'm fine. What makes you say that?"

Momo raised an eyebrow. She said, "You...don't seem to act like yourself."

Toshiro then gave her a look. "Let me guess: my mother asked you to find out what's wrong with me."

Hinamori blinked. _"How is he able to figure that out?" _

Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest. He said, "I've lived with my mother for sixteen years already. Of course, I am able to figure out what she's thinking."

"So, I'm guessing you're not going to tell me."

He looked at her again.

**_"Judging from the way things are right now, it doesn't seem that she's aware that you've recovered your memories. Am I right, Hitsugaya-kun?"_**

Thinking about the words that Ichimaru said earlier, he sighed with defeat. The older prodigy did have a point. Just as he is opening his mouth, he found himself having difficulties speaking. Instead, he said something different, "I...I heard that you're currently going out with Kira."

Momo's eyes widened, surprised that he is aware of issues like this. She tilted her head forward and slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I am. You don't mind, right?"

_"Of course I do mind you going on dates with Kira; you're supposed to be with me,"_ he thought. "No, I don't mind at all. I'm happy for you, Hinamori."

The peach girl raised her head up and gave him a faint smile. "I see."

The two teenagers fell silent. They found themselves looking away from one another.

**_"You should at least tell her that you remember her now and apologize for all the bad things you've done in the recent past."_**

Toshiro resumed his attention to his friend and said, "Actually Hinamori, there is...something I need to tell you."

Momo looked at him. "Hn, what is it?"

He tried keeping his eyes on her, but he found it difficult to do so. As a result, he looked away and quietly replied, "I-It's regarding to the first day you...started living here."

"Yeah?"

_"Here it goes..." _he thought. "Recently, I sort of...reme-"

However, his sentence was interrupted by the ringtone from Momo's cellphone. Wondering who it is, she took it out of her pocket and checked the screen. She looked at Hitsugaya again and suddenly apologized, "Oh, sorry...I have to take this call."

"No, it's alright. I-It's not really that important anyway. I can say it later."

She smiled. "Thanks."

With that said, the younger teenager left his room. Suddenly, Hitsugaya slapped his hand against his forehead before falling down onto the mattress. He messed up this great opportunity to tell her. Now, he has to wait patiently for the next one to come up. "Yep, this is frustrating."

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><p><span>"Thanks again for giving me Toshiro's house number. I sort of forgot to ask you back when I came to visit you."<span>

Momo smiled. "It's no problem, Kristina."

"Are you sure he doesn't mind?"

"I'm sure he doesn't," she replied. "Also, I asked permission from his mother just to make sure."

"That's good."

There is a short pause.

"So, how are things going with you and all your friends?"

"They're doing great."

"I see; does that include Toshiro?"

Hearing her mention about her friend, Hinamori stopped for a moment. Suddenly, she let out a soft smile and replied, "We're doing fine. We're really good friends now."

* * *

><p>Kristina leaned back against her chair. <span>"Good friends, huh?"<span>

"Yep, that's right."

"So, you guys must really like each other to a certain extent. Are you going to ask him out?"

"...I'm not. To be honest, I've given up on trying get Hitsugaya-kun to remember me," she replied.

"Why did you throw away all those years of believing the faithful promise you made with him?" Kristina asked.

"Kira-kun helped me realize that waiting for him will only make me suffer in the long run. As long as he doesn't show that he loves me, there is no need to wait anymore. It's time to move on and try a new relationship."

Suddenly, Kristina's grip onto the phone tightened. "Okay, are you dating anyone now?"

"Yeah, I've started going out with Kira-kun."

_"So, what Toshiro said was true after all."_

"Hello, are you there?"

"Ah yeah...I'm glad you're happy right now."

"Thank you."

"I have to go now; I have homework to finish," the American teenager said. "I'll talk to you some other time."

"Yes, good bye."

After pressing the end button, Kristina put her phone down and sighed with defeat. Turning her head to the side, she looked at the scenery through the window. "Toshiro Hitsugaya, this situation must be very difficult for you to handle."

She resumed her attention to the front and noticed the note on the piece of paper she has written earlier.

"Maybe I should call him later to see how he's doing."

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><p>Momo pressed the end button on her phone and leaned back against her seat. She smiled with content. Even though it has been two weeks since they last saw each other, she is glad that they managed to stay in touch with one another. "Maybe I should call Okaa-san and Oto-san to see how they're doing."<p>

Just as she began dialling the numbers, her phone suddenly started to ring. She quickly pressed the talk button and held it against her ear. She answered, "Moshi moshi?"

"Hey Hinamori-kun."

Realizing who it is, her eyes lightened up. "Oh, hey Kira-kun!"

"Are you busy right now?"

"No, why did you ask?"

"Oh, I was just...wondering if you're available to meet somewhere?"

"You want to go out again?"

"You...don't mind, right?"

"Sure, I'll go get ready!"

"That's great," he replied. "I'll pick you up in a few minutes."

"Okay, bye!"

Once she hung up the phone, Momo giggled with delight. She quickly went to her closet to pick out a new outfit to wear. By the time she's done, Hinamori left her room.

During this time, Hitsugaya came out of his bedroom, changed in his casual clothes. Once he closed the door, he turned to the side and noticed Hinamori entering the washroom. At that moment, he noticed the clothes she's holding. His eyes narrowed. _"She's going on another date with Kira." _

After watching the peach girl close the door behind her, Toshiro put his hands into his pants pockets and made his way downstairs to the living room. "Hn, you finally came downstairs."

He looked to the side to see his mother sweeping the room with a broom.

"Do you want something to eat?"

Hitsugaya thought for a moment before taking a seat on the couch. He picked up the remote from the table and turned on the television. "No, I'll eat when I'm hungry."

Naomi sighed with defeat. "Alright then, have it your way."

With that said, she went to the kitchen to finish sweeping the floor. In the meantime, Hitsugaya changed channels in search of something suitable to watch. However, he can't seem to find one that interest him. After a few minutes, he finally stopped at one and decided to watch it. It is when he heard the sound of the doorbell. Figuring that his mother isn't going to answer it, he left his seat and walked over to the front entrance. By the time he opened the door, he saw a familiar face. "Kira..."

"Hey Hitsugaya, is Hinamori-kun here?" he asked.

_"Didn't you guys already spent enough time together? Stop asking each other out so many times on the same day!"_ he thought as he gave him a serious look. "Yeah, I'll go get her."

Just as he is about to turn around, Izuru interrupted, "Iie, it's okay. I'll wait here."

During this time, Naomi took a peek from the kitchen to see who is at the door. Her eyes narrowed. _"It's Izuru-kun again. He better be here to have a little chat with Toshiro."_

"You better take care of her, Kira," Hitsugaya suddenly said. "She's a precious friend to us."

His words surprised both Naomi and Izuru. _"Lil'Shiro, don't tell me you..." _

Kira gave him a direct look. After a brief moment of silence, he let out a smile on his face. "I'll do my best."

"I mean it when I say that," Toshiro said, turning to him. "If you don't, I swear I'll go after you."

_"I knew it; he has feelings for Hinamori-kun,"_ Kira thought. "Arigato Hitsugaya. You're a great friend."

The white haired teenager then turned his head and looked away. "Yeah, whatever..."

"Hey Kira-kun!"

Hearing her voice, Naomi quickly retreated back into the kitchen. In the meantime, Toshiro and Izuru turned to see the peach girl quickly going down the stairs.

"Sorry for taking so long."

"It's alright," Kira replied.

She turned to Toshiro. "Can you tell your mother that I'll be home late?"

He nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

Momo smiled. "Thanks a lot, I'll see you later."

"Have fun..."

With a nod of agreement, she put on her footwear and left the house with Kira. Once she is gone, Hitsugaya closed the front door and locked it. He turned around and sighed with defeat. Leaning back against the door, he raised his head to look at the light. They are so close, yet they are so far at the same time.

_"Momo..."_

All of a sudden, he heard the house phone ringing. He walked over to the small table and picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is the Hitsugaya residence."

"Hey Toshiro; it's your friend from America!"

"American friend?" He thought for a moment. "Oh, it's you. Sorry, but Momo isn't home right now. She went on a date with...her boyfriend."

"It's alright," Kristina replied. "I called because I wanted to speak with you."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. Noticing his mother watching him, he gave her a look, telling her to stay out of this. He then began walking upstairs to his room. "You wanted to speak with me? What for?"

"Oh, to see how you're doing."

He opened the door and entered his bedroom. After closing it behind him, he replied, "You make it sound like you have feelings for me."

Then, he heard her laugh. "Is that so? Do you want me to start feeling that way?"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, knowing that she's messing with him. "No."

She laughed again. "I figured that much; you're very much in love with Momo."

He walked over to the bed and laid down on the mattress. "Yeah yeah, is that all you have to say?"

"...You deserve a chance to be with her."

Toshiro sighed. "That's only if she still has feelings for me and she breaks up with her boyfriend."

"...True."

There was a moment of silence. "Anyways, I have to hang up now. I have homework to finish."

"Oh okay, I'll leave you alone. However, if you and Momo somehow start going out with one another, you have to tell me."

He sighed with defeat. "We'll see if that really happens. In my opinion, the chance of that happening is fairly slim."

"I think otherwise. Well, I'll talk to you some other time. Bye."

"Bye."

With that said, Toshiro hung up the phone. In amidst of the silence, he thought about everyone said to him about his current situation. He turned his body to one side. Even if he lost his chance to be together with Momo, he'll find an opportunity to tell her that he remembered her and the times they've spent together over ten years ago. However, how soon will that chance come? All he needs to do is wait patiently for the moment to arise. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"Yep, this is indeed very frustrating."

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><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Arigato**_ - Thank you, _**Hai **_- Yes, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother,_** Tadaima**_ - I'm home, _**Okaeri**_ - Welcome home, _**Oto-san**_ - Father, _**Moshi Moshi**_ - Hello _(telephone conversation)_, _**Iie**_ - No

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****: **Is all hope lost? Well, I'll tell you this much; things will further pick up in the next chapter. That's guaranteed! If you don't believe me, you just have to patiently wait for my next update. Until then, please review! Thanks.


	15. Let's go to America!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya, Kristina Smith, Miyako Hinamori, and Tatsuya Hinamori.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Holy fudge cakes! A Shinigami has finally made its appearance after the time skip in the Bleach manga! I'm at the peak of my excitement! I can't wait for more of them to make their returning debuts! (_Kyaa, get to Hitsugaya and Hinamori already!_) XD _*clears throat*_ Ahem, anyways...I would like to give my thanks to **Aurelia Artemee, peachysnowFan, KoKomimicHan, KiRisH KiRisH, blue Roses, azngurl113219, Crystal183, icyangel27, fayfan, Himiko Areess, ElizLyonEclipse,** and **Evertale.**

_Message to **blue Roses**_: Momo's like that because she doesn't know what to do with her mixed up feelings. Her actions will be emphasized in chapter sixteen. Thanks for your review!

Your reviews are greatly appreciated. With all that said, here is an early update of The Faithful Promise. Enjoy reading chapter fifteen!**  
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><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." _"Talking in a different language." _**Airport Announcements.**  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Fifteen:** Let's go to America!

"Oi Hinamori, hurry up downstairs!" Hitsugaya hollered towards the stairs. "If we don't leave the house soon, we're not going to make it on time! The bus at school is going to leave us behind!"

Then, he noticed the peach girl is slowly making her way down the steps with a medium sized luggage bag in her hands. "I-I'm coming!"

"Hey, we're only going for a week. It looks like you have a month's worth of stuff in there."

Momo stopped to take a break. She placed a hand on the back of her head and let out a hesitant laugh. "I guess you're right."

Toshiro sighed with defeat and walked up to her. "Here, let me help."

All the peach girl could do is watching her white haired companion carry her luggage. She let out a soft smile, greatly appreciating his help. "Arigato Hitsugaya-kun."

"You're welcome."

All of a sudden, she placed a hand over her mouth. "Oops, I almost forgot something. I'll be right back."

With a nod of agreement, he watched the younger teenager run back up the stairs. "Hey Lil'Shiro, are you sure you got everything?"

Hearing his mother's voice, he turned his body to the side. Placing a hand on his waist, he replied to the older Hitsugaya, "Don't worry, Okaa-san; I have everything ready for the trip."

She sighed with defeat. "If only I didn't have work, I would have come with you two."

He quickly shot her a glare. "Even if you did have the time off, I'm not letting you come. The last thing I want is for the whole school to know who my mother is."

Naomi folded her arms over her chest and let out a pout. "Ou, that's so mean to say!"

The son merely rolled his eyes. "Okaa-san, consider your age. You shouldn't be acting childish like this."

Suddenly, Naomi knelt down on one knee and joined her hands together. As if she's praying to the gods, she pleaded, "Oh, where have I gone wrong? What did I do to deserve this? M-My dear and wonderful son has suddenly turned rebellious!"

"What the hell?" he snapped. "The only reason I'm like this because of you! Why don't you act like a normal mother for once?"

She then placed a hand on her cheek. The Hitsugaya mother turned her body to the side and said, "If I were to live like that, life would have been totally boring. I would have developed a lot of wrinkles by then."

Suddenly, Toshiro made a face. "Hah? How are those two things even related to one another?"

Naomi turned to her son and replied, "Anyways, I have a favour for you to do on my behalf."

"Oi, you're not even listening!"

She took out a folded piece of paper from her back pants pocket and handed it to him. Hitsugaya took the paper and read the writing inside. Suddenly, he let out a small gasp.

_"This is..."_

He looked up at her. "Once you're there, be sure to visit this place. I packed in your bag something I need to deliver to them."

Toshiro stood there for a brief moment before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Fine, I'll be sure to stop by there when I have time."

After cracking a smile on her face, Naomi suddenly threw her arms around her white haired son. "Arigato Lil'Shiro, you're so nice!"

"Oi, let me go!" Hitsugaya struggled to break free from his mother's death grip. "Also, stop calling me by that nickname!"

"You're so cute."

"Uruse!"

"Okay, I'm done." Hearing the peach girl's voice, the two members of the Hitsugaya family turned their heads to the side. Momo smiled and continued, "Now, I have everything I need for the trip."

Toshiro then walked over to Momo's side. He placed a hand on his side and replied, "Well, let's get going then."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai!"

As she watched the two teenagers leave the house together, Naomi placed a hand on the door sill and let out a soft smile. She called out to them, "Have a safe trip you two!"

Hearing her voice, Hitsugaya and Hinamori stopped and turned around. Momo raised a hand up and waved. "We'll be back soon!"

"Bye bye!"

Soon, they resumed their walk to the school grounds. "Ou, I can't wait to be there!"

Toshiro sighed. "Well, it can't be helped. We'll be going to the place where you grew up."

She happily nodded. "New York City, here we come!"

* * *

><p>"S-Sugoi, we're really on a plane!" Rukia said as she looked through the small window at the scenery outside. "It's so incredible!"<p>

"I know!" Orihime cheered. "Being on a plane is so exciting!"

"No kidding!" Matsumoto agreed.

"Holy shit," Renji said, gripping onto the armchair handles. "This piece of junk can't possibly take us to the air, can it?"

"W-Why are you asking me?" Ichigo asked. "I've never been on a plane before."

"Well, neither have I!"

"Daijobou minna." Hearing the familiar voice, the two teenagers leaned over to the side. They saw Ichimaru showing a wide grin on his face. "Most of the time, plane rides are safe."

"M-Most of the time?" Abarai sputtered.

"Don't you know? There are times where accidents and malfunctions happen. As a result, the plane would fall out of the sky and...Well, you know what happens after that."

The two teenagers gulped. "I'm not ready to die just yet."

Kurosaki nodded with agreement.

During this time, Toshiro and Momo walked down the aisle, searching for their seats when they met up with their friends. Hitsugaya stopped and gave them a strange look. "What in the world are you two so freaked out about?"

"We're going to die. Let's get off this plane while we still have the chance."

The white haired prodigy rolled his eyes and turned to Momo. She giggled at his reaction and replied to the others, "Don't worry; I was nervous too back when I boarded the plane the first time."

Toshiro nodded. "Ichimaru only wants to scare the pants off you so that you won't have a good time on the plane."

"That's easy for you to say," Renji said. "I bet you already rode on a plane before."

"Actually, this is my first time as well. However, there is no point in flipping out over something that is unlikely to happen."

"Hitsugaya-kun's right," Momo agreed. "Just calm down and relax."

With that said, the two teenagers continued walking. "Hey Hinamori-kun, we're over here!"

Noticing the blond haired teenager waving at her, the peach girl quickly walked up to him.

"These must be where you guys are sitting."

Momo smiled and happily took her seat next to him. "Arigato Kira-kun."

Soon, Toshiro sat next to Momo.

**_Attention all passengers: welcome aboard to American Airlines. Please take your seats and put on your seat belts. The plane is about to take off in two minutes._**

After doing as they were told, everyone sat back and eagerly waited for the plane to take off. Suddenly, the plane started up which immediately got Abarai and Kurosaki tensed up. Renji said, "Shit, it's happening now."

Ichigo nodded with agreement. "Oh yeah, this piece of junk is really trying to fly."

Ichimaru grinned with amusement. "My my, they're so excited."

He turned his head to the other side to see the girls eagerly watching the scenery outside. He then resumed his attention to the nervous boys.

"They're such girls..."

**_Attention all passengers: the plane is about to take off. Please enjoy the ride._**

Seconds later, the plane began to move. "It's starting," Kira said.

Momo nodded with agreement. "Yeah, it is."

She then turned to Toshiro, who is tossing a piece of gum into his mouth.

"Are you getting nervous, Hitsugaya-kun?"

He chewed on his gum a few times before replying back to the peach girl. "Hn, not really."

The plane started moving. Gradually, it picked up speed. Once enough momentum is gathered, the plane began to make lift off. "Holy shit, it's flying!" Renji exclaimed. "Sugoi, it's actually flying!"

"Oi oi, there's no need to be this excited Abarai," Hisagi pointed out.

"I don't care! This is amazing!"

He sighed with defeat and watched the plane fly into the air. After a few minutes, passengers started taking off their seat belts. Momo took off hers. "Yosh, we're finally in the air."

Just as Hitsugaya is about to say something, someone interrupted, "Urgh, I don't feel so well all of a sudden."

The two teenagers leaned over to see their blond haired friend. "Kira-kun, are you alright? You don't look so good."

With one look at the concerned peach, Izuru placed both hands over his mouth. He muttered, "S-Sorry, you have to excuse me." He quickly got up from his seat and made his way to the washroom at the back of the plane.

"I wonder what's wrong with him."

"Hn, Kira is air sick," Hitsugaya replied while pulling out a book to read.

"Eh, so soon?" Hinamori asked. "That's terrible!"

Toshiro shrugged his shoulders. "He'll be alright once the plane lands."

"Well, it's not going to be anytime soon."

"Don't worry too much, Hinamori; I'm sure he realizes what he's feeling right now and decided to take the vomit medicine that was provided for us."

She sighed with defeat. "Maybe I should go check up on him."

"I suggest you don't," Toshiro pointed out. "If you try to see him, you might get sick too. So, it's better to stay."

Momo thought for a moment before letting out a sigh of defeat. "...Yeah, I guess you're right."

With a short nod, Hitsugaya resumed his attention to reading the contents in his book. At the same time, Hinamori took out her MP3 player from her bag. She placed her earphones into her ears before playing her music with a touch of a button. Hinamori lay back against her chair and closed her eyes. She quietly listened to the melody in her ears.

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><p>Sometime later, Hitsugaya closed his book and leaned back against his chair. Relaxing against the seat, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. After passing some time, reading has become boring. He reopened his eyes and stood up from his seat. Carefully, he got out into the aisle and walked to the back of the plane.<p>

Along the way, he noticed his companions behind him. His eyes soon met with a pair of pale blue ones. By the time she noticed who she is look at, Matsumoto shot him a glare before turning her head away. Toshiro sighed with defeat. He's not surprised that the older student is still feeling this way. "Let me guess: you're still mad at me regarding to what happened the other day."

"Oh yes, I'm not speaking with you," Rangiku replied.

Seeing that there is nothing he could do, he shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. "That's fine by me."

Once he is gone, Shuhei turned to the strawberry orange haired woman. "Rangiku, I think it's time to forgive him. It has already been two weeks since then."

Matsumoto folded her arms over her chest. "Oh no, I won't do that until that idiot mans up and do what he was supposed to do."

Hisagi sighed with defeat. "You do understand that may never happen. Besides, Hinamori appears to have taken a great liking to Kira."

"I don't care. Those two aren't meant for one another." She turned her attention to the front where Hitsugaya's and Hinamori's seats are. After a brief moment of silence, she noticed the white haired teenager returning to his seat. Suddenly, she sighed with defeat and whispered, "Those two are."

"Eh, did you say something?"

Realizing what she just said, Rangiku raised both her hands up and shook them back and forth. "Oh no, I was only mumbling to myself."

"Oh, I see."

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya is listening to music on his MP3 player when he felt something. Wondering what it is, he looked over to his right to find his raven haired friend sleeping on his shoulder. He gave her a stern look. _"Oi oi, you shouldn't use other people as your cushion."_

He extended a hand out, pulled up a blanket (that was provided by the flight attendants), and carefully draped it over the sleeping girl's body. Once he is done, he leaned back against his chair so that Momo can feel comfortable against him. Quietly, he watched her sleep.

_"So this is how close we can get, huh?" _Gently, he brushed some of her bangs aside so that he can get a better look of her face. _"No matter what happens, I will always look after you." _

Suddenly, a thought came into mind. He turned to the other side to take a quick peek at the back of the plane.

_"Come to think of it, Kira hasn't returned yet. Is he still throwing up in the washroom?" _He soon sighed with defeat. _"It would have been amazing if he were to survive this plane ride despite feeling that way for so long."_

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><p>"Urgh, w-we're finally...on ground," Kira groaned as he immediately laid down on the bed of one of the hotel rooms. "My head's...still spinning..."<p>

Matsumoto crossed her arms over her chest and let out a defeated sigh. "Well, this sucks. Kira just had to get air sick during the plane ride."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean it," Momo replied. "Also, I think he isn't aware that he is prone to air sickness."

Orihime placed her hands together and turned to her friends. "So, what should we do now?"

"I guess a few of us will stay here and look after Kira's condition," Hisagi suggested.

Matsumoto suddenly pouted. "Aw, can't we ask the teachers to do that?"

"You can't do that, Rangiku," Ichimaru replied. "Besides, they already have to babysit the rest of us."

"Geez, they're so stingy! We're old enough to look after ourselves!"

"I don't know about that. Besides, we are in America."

"Y-You guys can go...without me." Hearing Kira's voice, everyone turned to the pale faced teenager. "I'll be...fine after a bit of rest."

Hinamori took a step forward and asked, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Iie, go have fun with the others," Kira replied.

"Are you sure?"

He slowly nodded with agreement. "I'm very sure."

"Okay then, I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks Hinamori-kun."

"He will," Gin encouraged, "as long as nothing bad happened to him."

Suddenly, he let out a wide grin. Momo gave him a look. "Ichimaru-san, please..."

"...Fine, I'll stop."

"I'll stay and look after him," Hisagi said. "We'll catch up with you once Kira feels better."

"Alright then," Ichigo said. "See ya."

"Later," Renji added.

"We'll see you later," Matsumoto said. "Let's go everyone!"

As everyone is leaving the room, Hinamori stood where she was, showing concern for her boyfriend. Suddenly, she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. She looked to the side to see Toshiro standing by her side. "Hitsugaya-kun..."

"Kira is going to be fine," he replied. "He said so himself. So, have some faith in him."

Momo soon let out a soft smile. "Arigato."

He slowly nodded with agreement. "Let's go."

"Hai."

The two teenagers walked towards the door. "We'll be back soon."

"See you, Kira-kun," Momo said. "Same to you, Hisagi-san."

"Have fun," Shuhei replied.

"...See you," Izuru said. Once they left the hotel room, he placed a hand over his forehead and sighed with defeat. "It is going to take me a while before I recover from this sickness."

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><p>"Oi Toshiro, you're walking too fast," Kurosaki said. "Hinamori is supposed to lead the group because she knows her way around these parts better than any of us."<p>

However, the white haired teenager didn't answer nor even try to correct him. He is looking back and forth as if he's searching for something. Wondering what the young prodigy is thinking, Momo walked to his side and asked, "Is there a particular place you want to see, Hitsugaya-kun? If so, I can show you."

All of a sudden, he stopped walking. As a result, everyone else did the same. "No, that's not it."

"Then, what is it?" Renji asked.

"Yoohoo!" called out a voice. "My dear Japanese friends, I have finally found you!"

As a few teenagers recognized the voice, they turned their heads to the side to see the familiar teenager with blond hair. "I-It's that American we met a while ago!"

"Kristina!" Hinamori exclaimed.

"Momo!" The two old friends ran up and gave each other a strong embrace. "Are you surprised that I'm here?" 

"Of course I am! I thought you were at school. Also, how do you know that we're going to be here in America?"

Smith took a quick glance at the white haired teenager before resuming her attention to the peach. She smiled. "Someone from your side was nice enough to inform me about your school trip to New York."

"Really? Who would that be?"

Then, she gave her friend a wink. "I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out soon enough."

Momo blinked her eyes a few times, wondering what she's talking about.

"Anyways, since I'm here, allow me to be your tour guide around the Big Apple!"

"I wonder what she's saying," Ichigo said.

"What's that?" Abarai asked with an amused grin. "You don't understand her English despite taking English classes back at school?"

"Uruse Renji! What about you? If you're so smart, then tell me what she just said!"

"T-That's not the point!"

"Huh, so you're not any better than me!"

Suddenly, the two teenagers leaned over so that their foreheads make contact with one another. "What did you say?"

Ichigo grinned and retorted back, "I said you're no better at understanding English than me."

"Uruse!"

"Oi, you guys cut it out!" All of a sudden, Rukia got in between the two teenagers and pulled them away with both her hands. However, they didn't care about the shorter teenager. They continued their bickering with one another. As a result, it left Kuchiki no other choice, but to beat them to a pulp. She gave each of them a fierce punch on the head, sending them down on the ground. The black haired girl folded her arms and exclaimed, "Now is not the time to be fighting!"

Ichigo and Renji placed their hands on their heads, soothing the bumps on their heads. "H-Hai..."

"She said that she'll be our tour guide," Ichimaru said.

"Oh really?" Matsumoto replied. "That's nice of her to do that. However, who is she?"

"She's Kristina Smith," Momo answered. "She's my close friend whom I used to hang out with a lot back when I was still living here."

She turned to the blond haired female.

"These two are my schoolmates: Rangiku Matsumoto and Gin Ichimaru."

"Yo," Rangiku said.

"It's nice to meet you," Ichimaru added.

"Oh, these two people must be your other friends you were talking about before," Kristina said.

Hinamori nodded with agreement.

Smith smiled. "The pleasure is all mine! Shall we start the tour?"

* * *

><p>"Hn, which landmark are we going to see this time?" Renji asked as he looked at a local map. "Will we be able to see them all before we have to leave?"<p>

"I'm sure we'll be able to do that," Rukia said. "For now, let's do some clothes shopping!"

"That's right!" Inoue agreed.

"Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Rangiku added.

As the excited girls continued chatting with one another, Kristina quickened her pace so that she can walk beside Hitsugaya (who is walking on his own). She leaned over and asked, "What happened, Izuru? I'm pretty sure he's on this trip too."

"Actually, he got air sick and is current resting at the hotel we're staying at," Toshiro replied.

"Oh..."

"What the hell are they talking about over there?" Renji, who is walking behind them from afar, asked.

Kurosaki shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows..."

"I can't hear them from here," Momo said.

As Ichimaru quietly listened to the conversation, he carefully watched the younger prodigy chatting with the American. Suddenly, a grin appeared on his face. _"Hn, I wonder what happens when I start this up,"_ he thought. "I wonder if Hitsugaya-kun has developed a crush on Hinamori-chan's friend."

All of a sudden, Hitsugaya stopped walking. Wondering why he did that, Kristina stopped as well. Toshiro quickly glanced over his shoulder and shot an icy glare at the older prodigy. "What the hell are you talking about, Ichimaru? Of course, I don't have a cru-"

"Is it really true, Hitsugaya-kun?" Momo interrupted. "Do you really have developed a crush on Kristina?"

Surprised by Hinamori's close presence, Toshiro pulled back and sputtered, "I-Iie, that's not true at all."

"Hn, what did Momo just say?" Kristina asked.

"Oh, it's nothing much," Hitsugaya replied. "My friends just thought that I have a crush on you."

All of a sudden, she burst out with laughter. "Don't worry about that, my friends from Japan! Why would Toshiro have a crush on me when he already has one on someone else?"

Suddenly, everyone stopped walking and fell silent. After the comment registered in his thoughts, Hitsugaya grabbed the American's shoulder and pulled her close. He said, "Oi, you're not supposed to say that!"

Realizing what she did, Kristina placed her hands over her mouth. "Oops, I'm sorry!"

"No way, you're serious?" Momo exclaimed. She turned to Toshiro. "Is that really true, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Judging from the peach girl's expression, Matsumoto looked at Hitsugaya and narrowed her eyes. _"How are you going to respond to her, Hitsugaya?"_

Seeing her so curious, Toshiro adverted his gaze away from her. "S-So what if I do have a crush on someone?"

"It must be someone who attends our school, right?"

_"This is your chance while Kira's not here,"_ Rangiku thought. _"Man up and confess your love for her."_

_"Go Toshiro,"_ Kristina thought. _"Tell her the truth."_

"Y-yeah," Hitsugaya mumbled. "She...attends our school."

"Really? Who is it then?"

Toshiro gulped. Now is the chance to let her know. "I-It's y..."

Just as he is about to say it, he folded his arms and turned around.

"Well, i-it's none of your concerns!"

Suddenly, Matsumoto slapped her hand on her forehead. _"Idiot..."_

"Oh boy," Ichimaru commented. _"The poor little genius is too pessimistic to risk this chance for happiness."_

_"Poor Toshiro-kun,"_ Orihime said.

In the meantime, Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia gave the white haired teenager a stern look. Kristina sighed with defeat. _"That was an epic failure."_

"It is my concern," Hinamori snapped. "I'm your friend. Don't you trust me?"

_"Trusting each other is not the issue here,"_ Hitsugaya thought. _"It's the fact that I have feelings for you is the issue."_

"Hitsugaya-kun..."

"Don't worry, Momo," Kristina said. "He'll tell you when he feels he's ready."

"What about you? How did you know he likes someone?"

"Oh, I knew since the day I visited your school." She turned to Hitsugaya. "Isn't that right, Toshiro?"

Realizing that she's covering him, he slowly nodded with agreement. "Ah yeah..."

"Really?" Hinamori asked. "That's quite a while ago. I should have seen it coming!"

_"Actually, you probably wouldn't,"_ Kristina thought. "Anyways, let's go to the hotel you're staying at. I want to see Izuru again."

"Oh yeah, I can introduce you to my other schoolmate, Shuhei Hisagi, once we get there." 

"I look forward to it."

Momo smiled happily. "Yes!"

"I-I'm not going back to the hotel yet."

Upon hearing the young prodigy say that comment, everyone looked at him. "Eh, why not?"

"I...sort have errands to do first."

"Errands?" Ichigo asked.

"You shouldn't have any errands to do while you're here," Renji said.

"Apparently, my..." Hitsugaya looked away, preventing them from seeing the timid expression on his face. "...mother wants me to do her a favour and deliver a few things to a friend of hers who live around this area."

"Hn, is that why you've been carrying that bag around for a while?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you know how to get there?" Momo asked. "It's easy to get lost around here."

"I'll be able to manage. If I get lost, I can always ask around for help."

"Okay then..."

"I'll meet you at the hotel."

With that said, Toshiro ran off and left the others behind. Kristina asked, "What's wrong, Momo?"

The peach girl sighed with defeat. "I hope he's alright on his own."

She let out a soft smile. "He will be. Despite knowing him in such a short time, I have a positive feeling that he's quite capable of taking care of himself."

Hinamori soon nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I suppose so. That's just how he is."

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya took a deep breath as he stood in front of the large house. <em>"This better be the right place." <em>

He extended a finger out and pressed the doorbell. After that, he put his hand down and waited for the person inside to open the door. Luckily, he didn't have to wait that long. A young looking woman with raven coloured hair "Oh my, what a cute little boy you are! What can I do for you?"

Hitsugaya made a face. _"No wonder she's Okaa-san's best friend,"_ he thought. _"They think alike."_

He sighed with defeat.

"Nothing really; I'm just here to visit you and Hinamori-san because...well, my mother aske-"

All of a sudden, she placed her hands on her cheeks and interrupted, "Oh my gosh, no wonder you look familiar!"

The female threw her arms around the white haired teenager and gave him a tight hug. "You're Toshiro-kun, right?"

"Um, y-yeah Miyako-san..."

She let out a squeal. "I'm so happy that you still remember me! You've grown so much since the last time I saw you! Wait a minute, what are we standing here for? Come in! come in!"

Seeing that he has no other choice, Toshiro stepped into the house. After taking off his shoes, he was lead into the living room.

"Feel free to take a seat." He nodded and did as he was told. He sat on the sofa. "So, what brings you here in America?"

"My school is on an overseas trip. So, I just happened to be in the area. Okaa-san asked me to deliver some stuff to you."

He handed the older person the bag. "Oh, thank you! I'm sorry for all the trouble."

"It's alright."

"So, Momo-chan is here too."

Hitsugaya nodded his head. "Yeah, she is."

"What?" a voice exclaimed. "My sweet peach has finally come home?"

Recognizing the voice from deeper into the house, Miyako and Toshiro turned their heads to the side to see a man with brown hair and small patches of gray hair enter the room.

"Where is sh-" All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed at the white haired teenager. "Oh, I remember you. You're Yoshida's and Satoshi's son."

Miyako shot him a glare. "Tatsuya-kun."

"He still hates me," Hitsugaya thought before letting out a defeated sigh. "I'm not surprised."

"I'm sorry about that," Miyako apologized. "Please pardon my husband's behaviour."

"It's alright."

Tatsuya took a seat next to his face. After staring at the young prodigy for a brief moment, he suddenly asked, "So, where's my little girl?"

"Hinamori is at a nearby hotel with my friends," Toshiro replied.

"Hn, really? You should have come with her. I'm sure she would like to visit us for a bit."

"I know she would, but...she sort of has other matters to deal with right now."

"Is there something wrong?" Miyako asked.

He suddenly shook his head. "No, there's nothing wrong. Like I said before, I'm here just to drop off some stuff here. I'll be on my way back to the hotel."

Hitsugaya then stood up from his seat.

"Thanks for letting me stay for a bit."

"Toshiro-kun," Miyako said as she too stood up.

"Hn?"

She smiled. "Before you head back to Japan, ask Momo-chan to drop by and visit us."

He nodded with agreement. "I will."

"Of course, you're also welcomed to visit us again."

"How about no?" Tatsuya said. Suddenly, Miyako pinched his ear and began tugging it. "Itte-te-te! That hurts Miyako-chan!"

"Ignore him, Toshiro-kun."

"Ah yeah," Hitsugaya replied. _"How scary..."_

With that in mind, the three people walked to the front entrance. "Ouch, Miyako-chan! Can you please let go of my ear?"

The female Hinamori said, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here."

Toshiro nodded. "Ja ne."

"Miyako-chan!" Tatsuya said.

"Oh, shush it," Miyako retorted. She resumed her attention to Hitsugaya. She happily gave him a wave. "Bye Toshiro-kun!"

He gave them a short bow before he put on his shoes and opened the door. With one last look at the Hinamori family, he soon left the house. After a few moments, Miyako finally let go of her husband's ear. "Itte, that really hurts!"

"That's what happens when you're acting mean to Toshiro-kun. It's not like we don't know him. He's Naomi-chan's and Satoshi-kun's child! In addition, he's Momo-chan's future lifemate!"

"Oh no, anything but that!" Tatsuya protested. "He may be related to them, but I have not accepted him to be the one who will spend the rest his life with my sweet peach!"

By the time he noticed, Miyako is not beside him.

"Eh, where did she go?"

He turned around to see her pressing a few buttons on the house phone. "Miyako-chan, are you even listening?"

"Hey Naomi-chan!" Miyako greeted. "It's me!"

"Oh my gosh, Miyako-chan!" Naomi exclaimed. "What's up?"

"Thanks for all the souvenirs; Toshiro-kun has just dropped by and left some stuff with us."

"That's good to hear."

Miyako started laughing. Tatsuya soon sighed with defeat. "I give up..."

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya opened the door and entered his hotel room. He closed his eyes and sighed. Even though his adventures in America have just started, he's already ready to pack it in for the night. "I need to take a nap."<p>

"Welcome back, Hitsugaya-kun."

He opened his eyes to see Hinamori and the rest of his friends lounging around in the large room.

"We were starting to wonder when you're going to come back."

"Is there something important you guys are going to do?"

"Kristina is treating us to eat at a buffet restaurant," Hisagi replied.

"Hn, is that so?" He turned to his classmate. "Judging by the look on your face, you seem to have recovered from air sickness."

Izuru placed a hand on the back of his head and hesitantly laugh. "Yeah, I'm okay now."

"...I see."

"Let's not waste anymore time here, my Japanese friends!" Kristina said as she walked towards the door. Then, she stopped and turned around. Facing her asian friends, she put up a fist and punched into the air. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"This is delicious!" Matsumoto exclaimed before taking another bite from her food. "I've got to have another serving of this!"<p>

"Oi Rangiku, you should consider your health," Ichimaru said. "If you eat too much, you're going to get one bad stomach ache."

The strawberry orange haired woman stopped for a moment and shot her childhood friend a mild glare. "Uruse Gin, I don't want to be disturbed while I'm eating."

He soon shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself."

In the meantime, Momo put her fork and knife down on the table. Then, she pulled her seat back. "Can you pleasure excuse me for a bit? I'll be right back."

Her surrounding friends: Hitsugaya, Kira, and Kristina stopped eating for a moment. They raised their heads to see the peach girl stand up. The American slowly nodded with agreement. "Ah yeah..."

After showing a smile on her face, the peach girl left the table. Seconds later, the others returned to their meal.

"Yum, I never get tired of eating the food at this place! It's certainly the best restaurant in town!"

"Mm, I think so too," Kira replied.

She nodded and then turned to Hitsugaya. "What do you think, Toshiro?"

"It's good," the white haired teenager answered before taking the final bite of his food that was on the plate. He then stood up from his seat. As he left the table, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, "I'm getting another serving of food."

Kristina smiled. "I'm glad I chose this place for you guys to eat."

As Toshiro is filling his new plate with food, he noticed a familiar face coming out of the ladies room. _"Hinamori..."_

He looked further to the right and noticed a group of three teenagers walking towards her. After reading the expressions on their faces, his emerald-teal eyes narrowed. He put his plate down on the counter for a moment and followed them. "Hello there cutie pie," one of them said. "Do you want to dine with us?"

Momo gave them a look. "Thanks for your hospitality, but I'm not interested."

She began walking past them.

"I have other important matters to take care of."

Just as she is about to leave, she felt something take hold of her wrist. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. One of them managed to prevent her from leaving. Hinamori struggled to break free.

"L-Let me go!" 

"I'm sorry, but I don't accept no as an answer. You are to dine with us whether you like it nor no-"

All of a sudden, he felt a chop on his wrist. As a result, he lost his grip on the peach girl and let go. He turned his head to the side to see the culprit who did that. Momo let out a small gasp. _"Hitsugaya-kun..."_

"Who the hell are you?"

He walked past them and headed towards the younger teenager. Once he is beside her, Toshiro turned around to face the group of teenagers. Then, without any warning, he threw his arm around Momo's shoulder and pulled her close. His action surprised her.

"I'm her boyfriend," he declared before shotting them an icy glare. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The teenagers flinched, sensing the intimidating presence of the white haired prodigy. One of them slowly took a step back. Before long, they all turned around and ran away. Hitsugaya soon closed his eyes and sighed with relief. He let go of Momo and turned to face her.

"Are you okay, Hinamori?"

She slowly nodded. "Ah yeah..."

Soon, Hinamori let out a soft smile.

"Thanks a lot, Hitsugaya-kun."

He nodded. "I'm sorry for saying that, I was only trying to hel-"

Without any warning, his face made contact with something hard. As a result, Toshiro fell down to the ground. "H-Hitsugaya-kun!"

Toshiro slowly sat up and placed a hand over his nose. "Itte, that hurts..."

Hitsugaya raised his head up and met with the angry eyes of a certain teenager that is suddenly in his presence.

"Kira..."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Uruse**_ - Shut Up, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, _**Iie**_ - No,_** Itte**_ - Ouch,_** Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (informal/casual)

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** O.O Holy shit, did you expect this Hitsugaya versus Kira confrontation to happen? What is going to happen? How is Hinamori going to respond to this? What other surprises this HitsuHina writer has up her sleeves? Well, you just have to stay tuned to my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	16. So Close yet so Far

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own is Kristina Smith.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! Did you miss me? Probably not. LOL Anyways, I'm back with another completed chapter of The Faithful Promise. Thank you everyone for all your patience especially my many reviewers: **icyangel27, xXSennaXx, anime16, KiRisH KiRisH, KoKomimicHan, Koatan, Crystal183, Aurelia Artemee, azngurl113219, shiro-ouji-sama, xSweetSnow, Rawr, colourfullbook, fayfan, Lulu22Temmy, peachysnowFan, cindy cordova, Evertale, HitsuxHina54KidxLiz **_(x2)_**, Hyourinmaru10, **and **Holy Dawn**. Without further delay, here is chapter sixteen. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." _**"Text Messaging in a different language."**_  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Sixteen:** So Close yet so Far

"...What the hell was that for?"

Looking down at the white haired teenager, Kira simply replied, "I think you know very well why I did that, Hitsugaya."

They stared at each other for the next few moments until Toshiro raised an arm up and wiped the dripping blood from the bottom of his nose. Soon, he got back up and said, "Let's talk about this somewhere else."

He continued glaring at the older teenager. "...Fine."

Just as they were about to leave, Momo called out to them, "Wait, where are you two going?"

Looking at the peach girl, the young prodigy replied, "Hinamori, we'll b-"

"We'll be back soon Hinamori-kun," Izuru interrupted. "We have a few things to talk about first."

"Kira-kun." She then turned to her close friend, who silently nodded with agreement. Soon, she sighed with defeat. "Okay..."

"Tell the others we'll be back soon," Toshiro said. "It won't take long."

She slowly nodded her head. "Hai."

With that said, the raven haired girl watched the two boys leave the restaurant together. She placed a hand over her chest, seriously concerned for the well-being of her two friends.

_"Kira-kun's very angry with Hitsugaya-kun about something,"_ she thought._ "That's unlike him to act this way."_

After a brief moment of silence, her hand suddenly turned into a fist.

_"I have to find out what happened between them."_

With a short nod, she started following the two older teenagers out of the restaurant unnoticed by her other companions. To make sure she is not spotted by them, Momo made sure to keep a safe distance away. Eventually, they stopped at the restaurant's parking lot. Hiding in between two parked vehicles, she carefully watched and listened to them.

"I'm disappointed in you, Hitsugaya," Izuru said. "I never thought you would act like this."

"You have it all wrong," Toshiro replied. "What you saw back inside the restaurant was a total misunderstanding."

"Don't give me excuses!"

All of a sudden, Kira threw a fist towards the older teenager's face. Sensing danger, Hitsugaya quickly evaded the punch by moving to the side. "Kira, what the hell are you doing?"

He dodged another fist.

"Kira!"

"Shut up Hitsugaya!"

After a few attempts, Izuru's fist finally made contact with Toshiro's cheek. Just as he is about to fall down, the white haired prodigy managed to hold his ground. He hissed between his teeth. Knowing now that reason won't get through to him, he decided to retaliate. "Damn you, Kira!"

He threw a fist at the young teenager, sending him a few steps back. Losing his footing, Izuru fell to the ground.

"It's so hard reasoning with you when you're like this," Toshiro said. "Calm down."

Kira brushed the side of his cheek with his sleeve before getting back up on his feet. "I bet you said those words to her because you wanted to feel special," Izuru replied. "You wanted to experience the moment of being Hinamori-kun's boyfriend!"

Both Hitsugaya and Hinamori, who is still hiding made the same expressions on their faces. "What?"

Realizing what she just said, the peach girl quickly covered her mouth with her hands. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and sighed with relief. They didn't notice her presence.

"That's not true, Kira!" Toshiro pointed out. "I said those things because I wanted keep those horny bastards away from Hinamori."

"And then what? Have her for yourself?"

He threw another fist at Hitsugaya. However, he easily dodged it. At that moment, Kira threw the other. Toshiro easily caught the punch with a single hand. "You're speaking nonsense!"

"Don't deny it, Hitsugaya. You have feelings for Hinamori-kun too."

The white haired teenager narrowed his eyes, but didn't say a thing. As a result, he took Kira's next punch which sent him back down on the ground.

Momo placed her hands over her mouth and gasped. She quickly looked away from the teenagers, overwhelmed by the recent discovery. _"H-Hitsugaya-kun...has feelings for me?"_

Toshiro turned his head to the side and spit some bloody saliva elsewhere on the ground. Soon, he got back up. "Yes, I do have feelings for Hinamori. I love her just as mu-no, maybe even more than you do. However, since you two are together, I was nice enough to swallow my desires and step back."

Suddenly, Hitsugaya took hold of the collar of Kira's shirt and pulled the teenager towards him.

"This is how you thank me? Bullshit!"

Izuru then took hold of Toshiro's wrist and forced him to let go. After flicking his arm off to the side, he said, "Back then, I believed your words when you said that you're not going to interfere with our relationship. However, you ended up breaking that promise."

"You're acting jealous, Kira!" the young prodigy snapped. "I'm telling you this because I'm your friend! Like I said before, this is all a misunderstanding!"

"I don't believe you!"

Without any warning, the younger teenager charged at the older one and pushed him back against the fence. Hitsugaya winced in pain and glared at the angry Kira. "You stupid idiot, I mean it! I was only trying to protect Hinamori as a friend!"

However, he wasn't listening. Instead, he threw another punch towards his face. Luckily, one of Hitsugaya's hands is free. He caught the punch with his single bare hand.

"Argh, fine! I'm stick and tired of telling you things that you're not even going to listen to!" Toshiro irritatingly said. "I'm going to beat the crap out of you until you understand!"

"Bring it on!" Izuru exclaimed. "Let's see what you've got!"

The white haired teenager growled with frustration and threw a fist at the blond haired teenager. "Okay, you asked for i-"

"STOP IT!"

Hearing the additional voice join in on the conversation, Hitsugaya and Kira stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to the side. Immediately, their eyes widened with surprise. Standing in their presence is the teary eyed peach girl. Izuru said, "H-Hinamori-kun..."

"Stop fighting you two!" she exclaimed. "Close friends aren't supposed to go against one another..."

She lowered her head.

"...even if it's over a girl like me."

Feeling the guilt in the pit of his stomach, Toshiro lost all sense to feel angry. His eyes soon softened with sympathy. "H-Hinamori..."

Momo raised her head up so that they can visibly see the face she's making. Seconds later, she closed her eyes, turned around, and ran off somewhere.

Immediately, Kira released the white haired teenager so that he can chase after the sad raven haired girl. "Hinamori-kun, wait up!"

Hitsugaya is about to do the same thing, but he suddenly stopped. He knows too well that it's not his right to go after her or else another fight with Kira will break out. If that were to happen, it would only make Hinamori more upset.

Toshiro sighed with defeat and turned to the other side. He stared at the restaurant for a few seconds before he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. Instead of going back in to be with his friends, he decided to head back to the hotel first and spend some alone time.

* * *

><p>"Hinamori-kun, wait!"<p>

By the time the peach girl finally stopped, they were at a local park. Because it is nighttime, nobody was out here to play. In addition, it has begun to rain. "Kira-kun."

"Yeah?"

When she finally turned her body to the side, Izuru noticed the angry yet sad look on Momo's face. "You have been harsh on Hitsugaya-kun. Why don't you go to him and apologize?"

"W-What are you talking about? Hitsugaya wa-"

Without any warning, the raven haired girl walked up to the older teenager and slapped him across the face. By the time he realized it, he placed a hand on his stung cheek and looked at her. "Sorry Kira-kun, but Hitsugaya-kun was only defending me by telling that lie to those people we confronted. He had no intentions of..."

Momo trailed off and lowered her head. After the short pause, she raised her head once more. Again, her eyes started watering.

"He had no intentions of interfering with us."

Just as she is about to run off again, Izuru took hold of her wrist. "Hinamori-kun, where are you going?"

"Let me go Kira-kun; I need to find Hitsugaya-kun," she replied. "I need to know if he's okay."

The blond haired teenager then looked away from the girl. He is unable to say anything to her.

"I'll say it one last time: let me go."

After a moment of silence, the peach girl forced the older teenager to release his grip on her. She gave him one last look before leaving the teenager on his own.

Once she is gone, Kira leaned against a tree trunk. He closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. By the time he reopened them, he placed a hand over his face. "I really messed up big time..."

* * *

><p>By the time Toshiro returned to his hotel room, he immediately went into the washroom to look for a towel. He needed to dry off from the rain. Lucky for him, his clothes wasn't so wet. Once he is done, Hitsugaya searched the room for a first aid kit. During this time, he felt a vibration coming from his pants pocket. He stopped for a moment to take out his cell phone and check the received text message. His eyes narrowed; it is from Momo's friend, Kristina.<p>

**Where are you?**

He stood there for a moment, contemplating whether he should answer the message or not. After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. There is no point in hiding it from her; she's going to call if he doesn't reply right away. So, he sent back his response.

**Hotel.**

**Why are you there?**

**...It's a long story.**

Hitsugaya went back to looking for the first aid kit. He opened the drawers in the vanity to find nothing, but some soap and shampoo samples.

**Did something happen?**

He growled with frustration and walked out of the washroom, unable to find the needed medical supplies. Then, he lay down on his bed and continued sending text messages to his American friend.

**Kira and I got into a fight...**

**Oh...**

**...and Hinamori probably overheard it.**

**Overheard what?**

Toshiro let out a defeated sigh and turned his head to the side. After a few minutes of thinking, he continued the conversation.

**My confession that I love her.**

He waited for a response, but it didn't happen until a minute has passed.

**That bad, huh? **

**Yeah. **

Again, he waited for a response from Kristina.

**So, what are you going to do now? **

**Isn't that obvious? I have to apologize to them.**

**...I see.**

Suddenly, he heard a soft knock on the door. Wondering who is there he tossed his phone aside for a moment and got out of bed. He soon answered the door only to find out it is none other than the raven haired girl. He immediately asked, "Hinamori, what are you doing here?"

"I-I..." she replied. Then, she noticed the injuries on his face and quickly placed a hand on his cheek. Upon contact, Hitsugaya closed one of his eyes and let out a hiss. "You're hurt. Your injuries need to be treated right away."

"Getting first aid is a minor issue right now," Toshiro said. "What about you? You're soaking wet from being outside too long. If you stay like this, you might catch a cold."

He then further opened the door, ushering the peach girl to step inside.

"Now, hurry up and get changed into something dry."

Momo slowly nodded with agreement and did what she was told to do. "Arigato..."

A few minutes later, the two friends sat on Hitsugaya's bed together while Hinamori is giving him first aid treatment.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," he replied. "It's just a bunch of minor bruises and scratches."

The room fell silent. Soon, Momo finished giving him treatment and started cleaning up. During this time, he took quick glances at the girl before looking elsewhere. He soon mumbled, "Sorry...for causing such a ruckus."

Hinamori soon stopped what she was doing and lowered her head. "I-It's okay."

"Where's Kira? Shouldn't you be with him?"

"Yeah, but I was very worried about you. So, I came here see how you're doing."

"How did you know I would be here?"

Momo shrugged her shoulders. "I...don't know; it's just a feeling."

"...I see."

Once again, the room fell silent as neither teenager found it easy to speak with one another. "So, you have feelings for me..."

_"So, she knew after all."_ Toshiro sighed with defeat. "Yeah, I do..."

There was a brief pause.

Realizing what he just said, Hitsugaya raised both hands up and moved them back and forth. His actions got the peach girl took at him. He said, "J-Just because I said that, it doesn't mean that yo-"

Without any warning, Momo threw her arms around him and gave him an interlocking lip kiss. At first, Toshiro was surprised by her actions. However, it didn't take long for him to close his eyes and start kissing her back.

After what seemed to be like long minutes, Hitsugaya snapped out of the passionate moment and quickly broke away from the peach girl. "H-Hinamori, w-we can't go on like this. If Kira finds out, he'll get mad."

She gave him a soft smile and leaned against his shoulder. Hitsugaya blushed over the intimate contact they're making. Then, he noticed her making sniffling sounds. "I knew it. Despite being with Kira-kun, I-I still have feelings for you..."

Momo looked at him, not caring about the tears that are rolling down her cheeks.

"I-It was selfish of me to start going out with him."

_"Hinamori..."_ He placed his hands on her shoulder and pulled her close. "It's alright; I understand. You were desperate back then, needing to share your feelings with someone else. You found out that Kira has feelings for you and thought he could fill the void in your heart. That's why you two are together."

"H-Hitsugaya-kun..."

"You deserve greater happiness than me especially after all the things I've done to mess up our relationship." He leaned closer so that he can whisper in her ear. "It was selfish of me...to forget you."

Momo's eyes widened upon realization. She pulled back so that she can take a better look at her friend. "D-Does this mean...you re-"

He gave her a faint smile and slowly nodded with agreement. "I'm sorry..."

The two childhood friends fell silent once more. "When did you realize it?"

Toshiro placed his hands on the mattress behind him to support his weight. He let out a sigh and replied, "...On the same day Kira confessed to you."

"Eh, y-you heard it?"

He glanced at her before looking away once more. "...Yeah, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. At that time, I was in your room putting away some of your stuff."

Hitsugaya tilted his head forward.

"By chance, I saw Hyorinmaru. From there, all the precious memories before my father's death came back to me."

Momo placed a hand over her mouth and started the waterworks once more. She embraced her childhood friend and apologized, "I-I'm so sorry! I-If only I had known earlier...I wou-"

Toshiro placed a finger over her lips, stopping her from saying the rest of her sentence. Once she is quiet, he pulled back his finger and let out a gentle smile. "I already told you; it's okay. We could still be friends, right Bed-Wetter Momo?"

She smiled back, feeling nostalgic yet guilty at the same time. When was the last time her childhood friend addressed her by her nickname? It has been too long. The peach girl slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah Shiro-chan..."

They fell silent. "...So, what should we do now?"

"I know now...he won't let me be with you," he replied. "It's up to you to break up with him. You are the one who are involved in that relationship."

"Yeah, I wonder how he'll take it."

"He won't like it, that's for sure."

She nodded her head. "I could only imagine bad things happening if I tell him that."

"Surprisingly, he's the jealous and aggressive type."

"...Yeah."

He extended an arm out and threw it over Momo's shoulder. They cuddled against one another. "I'll wait for you...no matter what happens or how long it takes..."

Hinamori's eyes widened.

"...because I know that you're the only person I could ever love."

She turned her body so that she can face him properly. "Shiro-chan..."

He leaned over close enough that their foreheads touch. As they looked into each others' eyes, Hitsugaya asked, "Just in case we could never be together, is it okay for me...to give you the feelings in my heart...right now?"

Momo slowly nodded with agreement. "...Yes."

He raised a hand and cupped her face. Gently, he pulled her close and gave her a kiss on the lips. In response, Hinamori willingly accepted his love and returned her feelings likewise. Neither of them wanted the moment to end. However, it has to happen sooner or later. So, they finally pulled apart. After a brief moment of silence, they wrapped their arms around one another and cuddled. "Thank you, Momo..."

The peach girl let out a soft smile. She raised a hand up and placed it over her chest where her heart is located. She said, "You always have a place inside my heart, Toshiro. I'll cherish it always."

He quietly nodded his head. He leaned over and gave her a cheek kiss. For the next few minutes, they remained close until Momo finally broke the silence.

"I need to go now. I need to find Kira-kun."

"...Okay."

It actually took a few minutes before they got off of the mattress and walked to the door. Just as Toshiro opened the door for the peach girl, she draped her arms over his shoulders. She pulled him close enough so that she can give him a loving kiss. In response to the lip contact, Hitsugaya simply melted. He placed his hands on her waist and kissed her back. By the time they pulled apart, she said, "I'll be back soon."

Toshiro slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, see you."

With a short nod, Hinamori let out a soft smile. At that moment, the older teenager noticed something else about the girl. But before he could say anything, she quickly stepped out and left the white haired prodigy. Once she is gone, Toshiro closed the door and leaned against the door. As his head is tilted forward, he soon sighed with defeat.

_"She's crying...for us."_

For the next few moments, he closed his eyes and stood by the door. Eventually, droplets of water fell on the carpet in front of his feet. Toshiro raised his hands up to see the tears he's shedding. Realizing what he's feeling, he wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes once more. Alone in his hotel room, he silently let out all the feelings that he has held onto for so long.

_"We're so close yet we're so far."_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** _*sniffles*_ It's sweet yet sour at the same time. Why can't they be together already? xD Well, you just have to wait and find out in my next update to read what happens next! In the meantime, please review!**  
><strong>


	17. You, Me, and the Bittersweet

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Miyako Hinamori and Tatsuya Hinamori.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Gah, I'm still drooling over Hitsugaya's return appearance in the manga. Ah, I can't wait for the next chapter! Darn, this would be a good time for me to pick up my television remote and press the fast forward button. Sigh...Anyways, thank you everyone for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **icyangel27, anime16, azngurl113219, HitsuxHina54KidxLiz, Hyourinmaru10, Evertale, Aurelia Artemee, toshiko-san21, Holy Dawn, forbiddenlovex, peachysnowFan, becomeafan, xAznCookiehz, KiRisH KiRisH, Lulu22Temmy, PeachyLuvhShiroChan98, Crystal183, Reader-Favs, fayfan, **and **ShinjiLuver123. **Without any further adieu, here is chapter seventeen of The Faithful Promise. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." __  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Seventeen:** You, Me, and the Bittersweet

Toshiro let out a loud yawn as he stretched his arms into the air. He put them down for a moment so that he can rub the sleepiness away from his eyes. Once he is awake, he looked around the room to find his male companions still asleep in their beds.

He then looked over at the small table to see that it is only seven-thirty in the morning. He let out a sigh and got out of bed. As he dragged himself to the washroom, he let out another yawn. By the time he walked to his destination, he noticed the door is closed. Assuming there is someone inside; he raised a fist up and gently knocked on the door. Seconds later, the doorknob turned and opened the door. There he saw a familiar face. Toshiro let out a smirk and greeted, "Morning messy haired Momo."

Realizing what Hitsugaya just called her, the peach girl made a pout face. "Mou, you're no better."

The white haired prodigy merely shrugged his shoulders. Paying attention to his appearance is the least of his worries. "Hey, it's at least not as bad as yours."

"What are you talking about? My hair is always like this."

For the next few moments, the childhood friends glared at one another. "You can be so ridiculous sometimes, Shiro-chan."

"Oi oi, don't call me by my nickname. It's embarrassing especially in front of the others, Bed-Wetter Momo."

"Mou, I'm not a bed-wetter."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes."

"No Shiro-chan."

"Oi oi, it's Hitsugaya to you."

After looking deeply into each other's eyes, they suddenly snorted and giggled. Sometimes they argue over the littlest of things just like the good old times. They smiled at one another and turned their heads to the side. Their friends are still sounding asleep. "Despite that minor argument, no one's awake yet."

"Yeah, they'll get out of bed late."

Hinamori nodded and asked, "What should we do in the meantime?"

"Let's...go out somewhere."

"Where?"

Toshiro scratched the back of his head and looked away for a moment. By the time he resumed his attention to her, he suggested, "I don't know; let's go to your house?"

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot I was supposed to visit my parents!"

Hitsugaya placed a finger between his lips. "Shh..."

Realizing what she's doing, Hinamori placed a hand over her mouth and nodded. She quietly apologized, "Oh yeah, sorry..."

"Let's get ready and get out of here."

"Hai."

* * *

><p>After they got changed into their casual clothes, the two friends went to meet with their teacher. Once they got permission to go out, Toshiro and Momo went to a local shop to eat some breakfast. After that, they slowly walked their way to the Hinamori residence. "So, umm...how are things going with you and Kira?"<p>

When she heard him mention about the blond haired teenager, Momo let out soft smile and replied, "To be honest, I haven't spoken to him yet."

"Not yet?" Toshiro asked. "It has been three days already!"

Hinamori nodded. "That night when our feelings were realized, I went to find Rangiku-san and the others to hang out with them instead. Kira-kun wasn't amongst them at the time."

"He must have been the last person to return."

The peach girl shrugged her shoulders. "He probably was. I was asleep when he came back."

"Same here."

There is a short pause. "You...haven't spoken to him either, right?"

Hitsugaya stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and casually replied, "Yeah, I sort of avoided him these past few days just to make sure he has cooled down. I plan on apologizing to him the next time we meet."

"That's good."

"Let's just hope he doesn't start another fight with me," Toshiro said. "The last thing I want is to get anymore bruises from him. It's a pain in the ass having to look all beaten up."

She cracked an awkward smile. "Your face doesn't look that bad."

"That's easy for you to say. When my so called fan girls saw me, they immediately went on _I feel sorry for you and I'll kill the person who is responsible for your injuries_ mode. If they found out it was Kira's fault, who knows what can happen."

"I can sort of imagine."

There is another brief pause.

"By the way, you seem to know where my parents live."

"Yeah, that's because I visited them a few days ago."

"Really? That's so cruel, Hitsugaya-kun!" Momo exclaimed. "You should have told me that you went to see them!"

"That's because I wanted to finish the errand for my mother as soon as possible." He then looked to the side. "Also, at the time, you were enjoying your time with Kira...and the others."

"Oh...I see."

They were silent once more, knowing too well that this conversation has turned awkward. So, Toshiro decided to change the subject. "Anyway, let's get going."

She nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>Kira stretched his arms into the air and let out a yawn. These recent nights have been rough because of what happened before. As a result, neither of his closest friends, Hitsugaya and Hinamori, are talking to him.<p>

He sighed with defeat. _"Now is probably a good time to talk to them."_

Izuru looked over to the side of the bed only to find Toshiro's bed is neatly tided. He scanned the room to find his presence. However, his efforts were in vain.

_"Where did he go?"_

"Good morning everyone!" Matsumoto greeted after opening the door from the girl's room. "It's time to wake up!"

Hearing the loud teenager's voice, the other males groaned and turned their bodies away from her. They wanted to continue sleeping.

"Oi, get your butts off the bed! We have a lot of things to do today!"

"Matsumoto-san," Izuru asked. "Have you seen Hinamori-kun in your room?"

Noticing the blond haired teenager, she placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment. She replied, "Eh, actually...she isn't."

"Is there something wrong?"

"I'm just worried about Hinamori-kun. I...sort of made her upset a few days ago."

"Oh..." She folded her arms over her chest. "So that's why you two haven't been chatting with each other lately."

He slowly nodded. "Yeah, I just hope she's not still mad at me."

Rangiku sighed. "Come to think of it, you haven't been talking with Hitsugaya these days either. Is it because of the physical fight you two got involved in recently?"

"Eh, how did you kn-"

She then gave him a stern look. "It's pretty obvious after looking at the bruises on your faces."

He placed a hand on one side of his cheek. Soon, Kira looked away. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about it."

"Hn, how sweet," interrupted a voice. "You're worried about Izuru."

Knowing exactly who said that, Matsumoto shot a glare to her left only to see the grinning face of Gin Ichimaru.

"I wonder if something has sprouted from this."

She walked over to her childhood friend and stared down at him.

"What's wrong, Rangiku?"

Without any warning, she took hold of the collar of his shirt and started beating him up. By the time she's done, she walked towards the door to the girl's room. She muttered, "Idiot."

Kira, who witnessed the whole scene, thought, _"Those two definitely confuse me."_

* * *

><p>"Kyaa Momo-chan, you're here!" Miyako squealed as she threw her arms around her beloved daughter. "I'm so happy!"<p>

"Same here," Tatsuya agreed as he wiped the tears in his eyes with his sleeve. "My sweet peach has finally returned!"

"Ack, O-Okaa-san! O-Oto-san!" Momo choked. "I-I can't breathe!"

Once she let go of her, Miyako looked at Toshiro and smiled. Hitsugaya noticed and smiled back. All of a sudden, he sensed an eerie presence. He turned his head to the side to see Tatsuya. The white haired prodigy closed his eyes and sighed with defeat. _"Hinamori-san definitely doesn't want me here."_

"I'm sorry for not being able to visit. I've been busy."

"It's alright. I'm just glad you're here now," Miyako said. "Did you meet up with Kristina yet?"

The peach girl nodded with agreement. "Yes, we did. She was nice enough to show all my friends around on the first day."

"That's good to hear."

Momo smiled. "I miss you, Okaa-san."

She then turned to her father.

"I miss you too, Oto-san."

"My Momo-chan," Tatsuya said. "Please stay her-"

"Oh no Tatsuya-kun, she can't do that," Miyako interrupted as she grabbed his ear and started pulling it. "Didn't Momo-chan say so before? She's staying at Naomi-chan's place so that she can be with Toshiro-kun."

Upon hearing her mention that, reminded the two childhood friends about the faithful promise they've made years ago. The instant they looked at one another, they blushed and looked away. "Itte-te-te! That really hurts, Miyako-chan! Can you please let go of my ear?"

"As long as you allow her to choose the path to take, then I'll let you go."

"Okay!"

When she finally did as she promised, Miyako turned to the two childhood friends. She smiled. "Now that you two are here, let's go inside and continue our conversation with some tea and cookies."

Hitsugaya and Hinamori nodded with agreement and followed Miyako deeper into the house. As he watched them past by, Tatsuya folded his arms over his chest. While he followed the three people, he muttered, "I don't mind my sweet peach coming into the house, but why does he have to come in too?"

"What are you talking about?" Miyako asked. "He is the child of our two closest friends. There is no way I'm going to kick him out of the house."

All of a sudden, she placed her hands on her cheeks.

"Besides, Naomi-chan has done a great job raising him. He's smart, handsome, and everything else I could imagine him to be. He's the perfect future husband for Momo-chan!"

Hitsugaya and Hinamori looked at one another and sighed with defeat. Toshiro said, "Now I could see why Okaa-san is your mother's best friend."

Momo blushed and slowly nodded with agreement. "For some reason, I get the feeling that even if we didn't make that faithful promise, they would have put us together anyway."

"Those are my thoughts exactly."

"So, are you two dating right now?" Miyako asked.

"Okaa-san!" Momo exclaimed, turning a few shades darker.

"Well?"

"Mou..." She turned her attention away from her childhood friend. "Our relationship right now is...complicated."

"It's complicated and you're okay with it?"

Toshiro and Momo looked at one another before looking to her again. Hitsugaya replied, "More or less..."

"Besides, we've been together long enough to understand one another," Hinamori added. "Isn't that right, Hitsugaya-kun?"

He slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah."

"Hn, is that so?" After a brief moment of staring, the Hinamori mother cracked a smile. "Very well, I won't say anything more than that."

Momo smiled. "So, give me a straight answer," Tatsuya asked. "Are you two dating or not?"

Hitsugaya stopped and turned around to see the male Hinamori. He placed a hand on his hip and sighed with defeat. Just as he is about to say something, Miyako interrupted, "Anyways, let's hurry up and have those cookies. They're really delicious!"

"Oi Miyako-chan, I was talking to hi-"

Suddenly, Miyako got behind him and started pushing him forward. "I know, but we've wasted enough time already. Hurry up and head to the living room!"

Toshiro and Momo stopped walking for a moment to watch the Hinamori parents bicker with one another as Hinamori wondered, _"What's the point of them fighting over stuff like this?"_

Hitsugaya sighed with defeat. _"Oh well, it's probably better to leave the question unanswered."_

* * *

><p>"Aww, do you really have to go now?"<p>

Toshiro and Momo nodded with agreement. "Yes Okaa-san," Hinamori replied. "If we don't, the teacher will scold us."

Miyako sighed with defeat. "Once you get back to Japan, be sure to contact us."

The peach girl nodded with agreement. "Hai."

"No, my sweet peach!" Tatsuya exclaimed, throwing his arms out and around his daughter. "Don't leave me for him again!"

Hitsugaya made a stern look_. "I can only tolerate his childish actions for so long." _

"Mou Oto-san, I have to go now," Hinamori said, trying to break free of his grasp, "and don't say those things about Hitsugaya-kun. He's not a bad guy."

"Tatsuya-kun," Miyako warned, shooting a glare at him.

Sensing the anger from his wife, Tatsuya flinched and quickly let go of his beloved child. After clearing his throat, he said, "Anyways, it's getting dark outside. So, you two better get going."

Momo gave him a stern look. _"He's avoiding the subject."_

She sighed with defeat.

"Okay."

"If we get the chance, we'll visit you in Japan next time," Miyako said.

Toshiro nodded. "I'm sure Okaa-san would like that."

She smiled. "I think so too."

"Bye Okaa-san," Momo said. "Bye Oto-san."

Hitsugaya gave them a short bow. "Ja ne."

As the two childhood friends are leaving the house, Miyako and Tatsuya gave them a warm farewell wave. Once they are out of sight, the parents stepped back into the house and closed the door.

"I'm glad he's feeling better," Miyako admitted.

"Who?" Tatsuya asked. "You're talking about him?"

She gave him a look. "Yes, I was talking about Toshiro-kun. When he first visited us, his mind was preoccupied with something related to Momo-chan."

"Momo-chan? What makes you think it has something that involves with her?"

Miyako smiled. "It's a woman's intuition."

Tatsuya raised an eyebrow. "You're not making any sense."

"I know it's hard for you to understand." Miyako turned around and started walking deeper into the house. "You are a male after all."

He sighed with defeat and followed her inside. "Women are hard to understand sometimes."

"Huh, what did you say?"

"I-I said nothing, my sweet heart!"

* * *

><p>For the first few minutes of walking back to the hotel, Toshiro and Momo didn't speak to one another. Hitsugaya sighed with defeat. The eeriness is starting to get annoying. So, he decided to start a conversation with her. But before he could do that, she spoke first. "Hitsugaya-kun."<p>

"Eh, what?"

Momo took a quick glance at him before letting out a soft smile. She replied, "Thanks for coming with me to see my parents."

The white haired prodigy stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. "It's nothing; I did sort of promised with your mother that I would visit again before I leave."

She slowly nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. She does care about you like family."

"...Yeah, I know."

There is a brief pause. All of a sudden, Toshiro felt something. He turned his head to the side to see Momo holding his hand.

"Hinamori?"

He felt her grip on him become slightly tighter. "Even if we're not officially going out, can I still hold your hand?"

Hitsugaya turned pink and looked away. After taking a quick glance at her, he replied, "That's fine with me..."

Momo smiled.

"...as long as you don't start bed-wetting on me."

All of a sudden, she made a pout face. "Mou, I can't believe you just said that! You totally ruined the moment."

"Well, it can't be helped that I said that," he retorted. "You sort of surprised me with that sudden display of affection."

Hinamori let go of his hand so that she can cross her arms over her chest. "You really are a bad at being a romantic."

"Uruse, I'll say nice words when I feel like it."

"You're so stubborn sometimes, Shiro-chan."

"Oi, stop calling me by that nickname!" he snapped.

With that said, they continued walking until they suddenly stopped. "Hey Hitsugaya-kun, do you..."

Toshiro slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah, just for a bit..."

Together, they stopped by at the park to relax a bit. After a few minutes of walking, they found a good spot to sit on the bed of grass. This way, they can watch the beautiful sunset. Momo closed her eyes and let out a content sigh. By the time she reopened them, she said, "I remember all the times we used to do this together on the rooftop."

"Yeah, I remember that," he replied. "I used to fight against you over a simple slice of watermelon."

Hinamori raised a fist over her mouth and giggled. "There's also the times where I sat there and cried over the littlest of things."

Hitsugaya cracked a smile. "There were so many things we did during those moments. Regardless what happened, they were precious to us."

Toshiro draped an arm over Momo's shoulder and pulled her close. As they cuddled, he leaned over and kissed the side of her head. Hinamori let out a soft smile. Accepting his feelings, she leaned closer to him.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's alright," she replied. "I completely understand why you did that."

The two teenagers fell silent for a moment. "I'll always love you, Momo."

Hinamori blushed and slowly nodded her head. "In my heart, I will always feel the same way Toshiro."

They joined hands together and remained that way for the next few minutes. At moments like these, they wished that time could freeze. However, it could never happen. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a ring tone. Stopping what they were doing, they pulled apart and looked down. Momo took out her cell phone from her pants pocket and checked whose calling.

"It's Kira-kun."

"Kira, huh?" Toshiro sighed and stood up from his seat. Looking down at the peach girl, he gave her a small smile. "Go ahead and talk to him. You guys need to make up, right?"

She returned the sentiment likewise. "Arigato Shiro-chan."

With a short nod, he walked down the hill and patiently waited for Momo by the swings. During this time, he kept himself busy by watching the clouds pass in the sky.

"Hitsugaya-kun."

He turned his head to the side to see Hinamori approaching him. "That was fast."

She nodded with agreement. "We had a brief conversation. He apologized to me for acting like a selfish jerk."

"I see. Did you talk about anything else?"

Momo lowered her head. "I...didn't get the chance to tell him my true feelings."

Toshiro closed his eyes and sighed. When he reopened his eyes, he said, "Don't rush it; there will be plenty of opportunities to say what you need to say. In the meantime, let's head back to the hotel."

Hinamori nodded. "Yeah..."

* * *

><p>"My my, guess what the cat dragged in," Ichimaru said. "Hitsugaya-kun and Hinamori-chan are back."<p>

Seeing the two teenagers at the entrance, all their companions gathered around them. "We've been worried about you," Orihime said. "We didn't see you anywhere at all."

Momo placed a hand on the back of her head and let out a hesitant laugh. "Sorry about that; I sort of needed to take some fresh air and...I had to visit my parents for a bit. As for Hitsugaya-kun and I, we..."

She took a quick glance at Toshiro.

"...just happened to meet up at the lobby."

"So, what's your excuse Toshiro?" Ichigo asked.

He shot the orange haired teenager a glare. "It's Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki. I decided to go exploring for the whole day."

"Hey, that's not fair," Renji protested. "I can understand Hinamori's case, but how come you get to do whatever you want?"

Hitsugaya shrugged. "It's probably because the teacher didn't have to worry about me getting lost."

"You lucky bastard..."

As the teenagers continued to interact with one another, Kira quietly watched Hinamori's and Hitsugaya's behaviours. Remembering about the quick glance she did moments ago, he sighed with defeat. _"They have gotten very close to one another." _

Izuru closed his eyes.

_"How come I'm not surprised?"_

Rangiku looked to the side to see Kira's behaviour. She narrowed her eyes before turning to Momo and Toshiro. "Anyways, let's get out of here," Hisagi suggested. "It's time to get something to eat."

"Yeah, I'm starving," Renji said.

All of a sudden, the strawberry orange haired woman took hold of Hitsugaya's wrist. Once she got everyone's attention, she simply said, "Please excuse us for a moment; I need to have a short one-on-one talk with Hitsugaya."

Just as any of them were about to say anything, she dragged the white haired prodigy out of the hotel room and down the hallway.

"We'll catch up with you later."

There was a brief pause. "W-What was that about?" Ichigo asked.

"Who knows," Renji replied, joining his hands together on the back of his head. "It's hard to understand what is going on inside Rangiku-san's head."

Ichimaru merely grinned over the comment.

"We'll let's get going," Rukia said.

Everyone else nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

* * *

><p>"Oi Matsumoto, let me go already!"<p>

However, the older teenager didn't listen to his request. She continued to hang onto the young prodigy all the way until they are at the hotel lobby. As Hitsugaya is leaning against a pillar, Matsumoto placed her hands on her hips and asked, "Okay, let's cut to the chase. It's obvious that something happened between you, Kira, and Hinamori. What is it?"

He looked at her for a brief moment before letting out a defeated sigh. He replied, "It's nothing really important. Kira and I got into a fight a few days ago over a misunderstanding because he knew I have feelings for Hinamori. Somehow, she found out about it."

_"That was easy to get a truthful response from him,"_ she thought. She sighed and leaned against the pillar beside him. As she looked up at the lights on the ceiling, she said, "Hn, really now? What happened next?"

"That night, I returned back to the hotel to fix up my injuries."

"So that's why you and Kira look this way now."

He nodded in response.

"Well, did you talk to Hinamori?"

"We had a long chat," he replied. "Everything's alright now."

"Eh, does that mean...?"

He gave her a stern look. "No, we're not going out."

"Eh, you're serious?"

"If we did, Kira would start another fight with me. Plus, they haven't officially broke up."

"You should have stole her away."

Again, he shot her a glare. "I trust her that she can handle the issue on her own. Besides, I know now what she feels about me. There's no need to fuss over it anymore."

"Hitsugaya..." Realizing the tone of his voice changed when he mentioned about Momo's feelings, Matsumoto cracked a smile. _"She returned his feelings likewise."_

There is a silent pause. "I'm sorry for acting like a miserable jerk over the past few weeks."

"It's alright; I just hope Kira understands that Hinamori loves you more than him."

Toshiro stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and sighed. "I can only wish for the best. If not, then it's okay too. I've already given her all my love. She'll always be my special one."

Suddenly, a grin appeared on her face. After draping her arm over his shoulder, she pulled him close. As Toshiro struggled to break free of her grasp, she teaed, "For an amateur in the romance department, those are quite the smooth words you just said."

Without any warning, he pulled away from her. "Uruse Matsumoto, I don't want to hear that from you."

"Rangiku-san! Hitsugaya-kun!"

Hearing Momo's voice, they turned their heads to the side to see the raven haired girl and their companions. She asked, "Are you two finished with your conversation?"

Matsumoto smiled and turned to face them. With a single flick of her bangs, she replied, "Yep, we just finished our little chit chat. Now, let's head over to that restaurant I talked about before. I'm starving!"

Then, she placed a finger on the bottom of her chin.

"I hope they serve some sake."

"Oi Matsumoto, you're underage!" Hitsugaya snapped.

She giggled and winked at the white haired prodigy. "Just kidding!"

He shot her a glare. "I don't believe you."

"Eh, why not?"

"Just because..."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I don't care."

Rangiku whined. "You're stingy, Hitsugaya."

"Matsumoto!" he snapped.

"Oh boy, here they go again," Hisagi said. "They're fighting again."

"Leave them be," Ichimaru replied with a grin. "It has been a while since they bickered with one another like that."

"...I suppose."

Momo giggled. "Let's go or else we're going to leave you behind!"

Upon hearing the peach girl say that, the two teenagers ceased their argument and turned to the side. Noticing that they're headed towards the exit, Toshiro hissed between his teeth. As a result, he and Rangiku ran after them. Matsumoto exclaimed, "Eh, don't do that Hinamori! Don't be so mean!"

Hitsugaya merely rolled his eyes over the older teenager's whining. "Let's go everyone!"

"Hinamori!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Oto-san**_ - Father, _**Itte**_ - Ouch, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye _(informal/casual)_, _**Uruse**_ - Shut Up, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** Darn, there's only three more chapters to go before this story's done. Oh well, everything's all coming together just as I have planned. _(Mwahaha...xD)_ What is going to happen next? Well, you just have to stay tuned to my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	18. It's for the Best

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Kristina Smith and Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone, I'm sorry for taking so long with this update. I had to put a lot of effort and consideration into this chapter before I am satisfied enough to post it. You'll see what I mean after reading it. xD Anyways, thank you everyone for being so patient especially my wonderful reviewers: **ShinjiLuver123, fayfan, icyangel27, Crystal183, peachysnowFan, muzikchic4eva, Evertale, becomeafan, xAznCookiehz **_(x2)_**, Hyourinmaru10, anime16,** and **Reader-Favs**. Without any further delay, here is chapter eighteen. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking." _"Speaking in a different language." **Airport Announcements. **_  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Eighteen:** It's for the Best

**Attention all passengers boarding the American Airline flight to Japan: due to unforeseen circumstances, there will be a half an hour delay. We're sorry for any inconvenience.**

"Well, that's unfortunate," Ichimaru said.

"What is the announcement about?" Renji asked.

"Our flight back home is delayed."

"Well, that's just great! We already waited here for over three hours and we still can't go home?"

"There's no other choice," Hisagi said. "We have to wait."

The red headed teenager sighed. "By the way, what's taking those guys so long? They should be back now."

"Hey, the airport is a big place," Rukia replied. "It can't be helped that Hitsugaya and Kira are having trouble finding the men's room."

Abarai let out a growl and placed his hands together on the back of his head. "They better get back quick. I need to go as well."

"We don't need to know that," Ichigo replied.

He shot the orange haired teenager a glare. "Uruse."

* * *

><p>As he waited for him to come out of the men's room, Hitsugaya leaned against a nearby wall and quietly watched the people pass by. Soon, the white haired teenager looked to the side to see the younger teenager approach him. Once Kira caught up with him, Toshiro stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. Together, they started walking back to the rest of schoolmates. "I'm sorry for punching you the other day, Kira."<p>

Surprised by the sudden apology, Izuru stopped walking. After taking a quick glance at the prodigy's back, he lowered his head. Moments later, he raised his head up and said, "Hitsugaya!"

Hearing his name being called out, he stopped and turned around.

"I-I'm sorry too for accusing you like that. It was harsh of me to say those words to you."

Toshiro merely shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing. "It's alright; Matsumoto's insults are more effective than yours."

Kira then let out a snort. "I suppose so."

"Let's go. The others are waiting."

He nodded with agreement and followed the older teenager. Along the way, they heard a familiar voice call out to Hitsugaya. "Hey Toshiro, wait up!"

They stopped for a moment and looked over to find their American friend in their presence. Hitsugaya asked, "Kristina, aren't you supposed to be at school right now?"

"Yeah, but I decided to skip classes for today," she replied. "Besides, I have to see you and everyone else off."

Toshiro sighed and continued walking. "Do what you want."

Kristina smiled before turning to Kira. "You don't mind, right Izuru?"

He shook his head. "I'm sure Momo would be happy to...um, see you again before we go."

With a short nod of agreement, the two teenagers followed the older one. After watching his back for a couple of minutes, Kristina decided to catch up to him. By the time Kira noticed, he too began quickening his pace. However, due to the many people around, he is having trouble keeping up with them. "So, how are things going between you and Momo? Have you worked things about with her?"

"Yeah, we did," Hitsugaya replied. "Everything's fine between us now."

"Hn..."

"What?" 

"I'm not convinced. Something must have happened and you're not telling me." 

He then gave her a look. "Whatever happened between us is not worth mentioning."

"Aw, come on!" 

"Why don't you ask Momo?" he suggested. "She's your best friend."

Kristina rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh please, I bet she's not going to tell me either."

"You guys," called out a voice. "Slow down a bit!"

Recognizing the voice from behind, Hitsugaya and Smith stopped walking and turned around to see Kira fighting his way out of the crowd.

"Oops, we're sorry!" the blond haired female apologized. "We almost forgot about you, Izuru!"

When he finally caught up with them, he let out a relieved sigh. "At least it's better than being left behind here while everyone else gets to go back to Japan."

"Huh, what did he just say?" 

"Izuru said that at least being almost forgotten is better than being ditched here while the rest of us board the plane back to Japan," Toshiro explained.

"Oh..." She turned to Kira. "If that happens, you can always hang out at my place." 

"Um, thanks..." Izuru replied.

Kristina smiled before everyone continued walking. "Oh look! I see the others!"

She quickly left the two teenagers to meet up with their companions.

"Hey everyone!"

"Kristina!" Momo exclaimed when she finally noticed. "What are you doing here?"

She stopped in front of them and smiled. "Isn't that obvious? I came to see you guys off."

"That's nice of you to do that," Ichimaru said.

"Wait, don't you have school?" Hisagi asked.

"Oh, don't worry about the minor details," she replied. "I can always catch up on my work later."

"I-I see."

During this time, Toshiro and Izuru joined the others. Hitsugaya explained, "We just happened to run into her while we were heading back here."

Momo nodded and turned to her friend. "Thanks for coming all this way, Kristina."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

"Yeah," Matsumoto agreed. "You will visit us again, right?"

"Oh yes, I will visit you in Japan again. Hopefully, it's sometime during the winter holidays."

"Ou, you should do that. That way, we can show you the things we do during that time of year." Suddenly, Rangiku cracked a mischievous grin. "Oh yes, we cannot forget: Toshiro might have a girlfriend by then."

Hitsugaya shot her a glare. On the other hand, Kristina giggled. "I hope he does have one by then. Maybe he will pick up that girl he has a crush on."

Toshiro rolled his eyes while Momo couldn't help it, but crack an awkward smile. On the other hand, Kira noticed the content-like expression on their faces. He closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh. "Hey, I saw that look," Hitsugaya said.

"What?" Hinamori asked.

"You want me to have a girlfriend too."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

He then raised an eyebrow. Despite not saying a thing about it, Momo understood what he's trying to point at. She merely smiled with amusing delight. At the same time, the others made questionable looks on their faces while others let out snickering grins.

**Attention all passengers boarding the American Airline flight to Japan: please make your way to the checking stations. The plane will take off in fifteen minutes.**

"Ah, our plane has arrived!" Orihime said.

"We better get on the plane or else it will ditch us!" Hisagi added.

"Yup, that's our cue," Matsumoto said. "It's time for us to go home."

Kristina nodded with agreement. "Good bye my Japanese friends, we'll see each other soon."

"Bye Kristina," Rukia said.

"Thanks for showing us around," Ichigo added.

She nodded and walked over to Hinamori. Leaning towards the raven haired girl, she raised a hand on the side of her mouth and whispered, "Check your phone. I need to ask you about something."

"Oh, okay."

Kristina smiled and turned to Hitsugaya. "Take care, Toshiro."

He nodded with agreement. "See you."

"Hurry up or else we're going to leave you, Hitsugaya!"

The white haired prodigy turned to the side and retorted at the strawberry orange haired woman, "Yeah yeah, I'm coming."

Momo walked to Toshiro's side and said, "Let's go Shiro-chan."

He then gave the peach girl a stern look on his face. "Oi Bed-Wetter, it's Hitsugaya to you."

Kristina blinked. "Shiro?"

"Kira-kun, let's go!" Momo called out.

"Ah yeah, I'm coming!" Izuru replied after snapping back to reality.

After taking hold of his luggage, he followed everyone else to the check in station. In the meantime, Kristina watched the three teenagers communicate with one another. She folded her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. She slowly exhaled and took out her cell phone. There, she began to type the beginning of her many text messages to Momo.

* * *

><p>"We're home, Naomi-san!"<p>

"Toshiro! Momo-chan, welcome back!" the female Hitsugaya greeted after meeting them at the front door entrance. "How was your trip?"

After pulling their luggage in, Hinamori let out a smile and replied, "It was great! We had a great time."

She turned to Hitsugaya.

"Isn't that right Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya, who was yawning from the long ride home, made a face and turned to the peach girl. He retorted, "Oi Bed-Wetter, I thought you promised me not to call me that anymore."

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry about that. I keep on forgetting to not say that."

"Eh, what is this? What is this?" Naomi asked, looking at both teenagers. "You two are calling each other by your nicknames."

"Yeah, what about it?"

The young adult placed her hands together. "By any chance, you remember her now, Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

Without any warning, she pulled her son into a deep embrace. "Kyaa! I'm so happy for you!"

"Ack, let me go!"

As he struggled to break free of his mother's grip, Naomi exclaimed excitedly, "You guys can live happily ever after now!"

"No, it's too early to say that."

Toshiro finally pulled away from her and began fixing the wrinkles on his clothes. In the meantime, Naomi gave him a whining look on her face. "Eh, what does that supposed to mean?"

He gave her a stern look. Then, carrying his luggage along with him, Toshiro began making his way upstairs to his bedroom. "You'll understand in the near future, Okaa-san."

The young woman turned her body to the side and hollered, "Oi Lil'Shiro, I'm not done speaking with you!"

Momo giggled. "Don't worry too much about it, Naomi-san; right now, Shiro-chan wants to live his life the way he wants."

"That's all?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"What about you? Did something good happen while you were in America?"

Hinamori cracked a faint smile. "You could say that."

With that said, the peach girl made her way to her bedroom upstairs. She left Naomi behind to question her son's and his childhood friend's actions and behaviour. "What in the world has happened between those two?"

* * *

><p>Later in the day, Toshiro is busy sitting on the sofa and watching some television. All of a sudden, he felt something is thrown at his cheek. Turning his gaze from the screen, he looked down to see his dragon plush lay beside him. He raised an eyebrow and raised his head up to see the peach girl standing in his presence. "Let me guess: you're going on another date with him."<p>

She let out a soft smile and slowly nodded with agreement. "It might be my last."

"Hn, did you say something? Your voice was too soft for me to hear."

Hinamori quickly shook her head. "No, it's nothing."

"...Oh."

"I'll be back soon."

"Okay."

There is a silent pause. "Are you going to be home for a while?"

Hitsugaya looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment. He soon replied, "Hn, I need to do some minor grocery shopping for my mother. If you need anything, just send me a text message."

She nodded. "Okay."

"I'll see you soon."

"Yeah."

She then stopped and approached the white haired prodigy. When she is close enough, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck. At first, Hitsugaya flinched. However, it didn't take long for him to realize what she's doing. He soon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, accepting her feelings of affection. There is no need for them to say anything; they understood those unsaid words completely. Toshiro reopened his eyes and leaned over to return his sentiments. He gave her a short kiss on the top of Momo's right hand.

Once their moment of silence faded away, Hinamori suddenly cracked a smile and slowly pulled away. Hitsugaya looked up and smiled back at her. "You better get going or else you're going to be late."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai."

As the peach girl is leaving the living room, Hitsugaya picked up his winged dragon plush and turned around to watch her.

Seconds later, she reappeared and said, "By the way, I still can't get over the fact that you look adorable when you're holding Hyorinmaru. It totally reminds me of the times when we were younger."

Toshiro blushed and turned his head to the side. He muttered, "Uruse..."

Momo giggled. "Ja mata ne!"

"Matane."

With that said, she quickly left the house. By the time she is gone; Toshiro let out a sigh and sat back down on the sofa. He went back to watching some television. "Oi Lil'Shiro, have you seen Momo-chan?"

He turned his head to the other side to see his mother standing by the door sill to the kitchen. He replied, "She just left the house."

"Eh, already?" She walked over to her son. "She just came home from an exhausting plane ride."

Hitsugaya merely shrugged his shoulders. "Hinamori said it was important. She'll be back in at least two hours."

Naomi sighed with defeat. "Well, alright then. I guess now is a good time for you to explain what has happened between the both of you lately."

He looked at her. "Eh, why should I tell you when the problem has already been solved?"

"So, something did happen after all."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and looked away from his mother. After checking the time on the wall clock, he suddenly stood up from his seat.

"Oi Toshiro, where are you going?"

The white haired prodigy walked over towards the stairs to his bedroom. All of a sudden, he stopped at the door sill. He glanced over his shoulder and said to his mother, "I'm doing that favour you asked me to do. The store is going to close if I don't leave right now."

Naomi looked at the clock to check the time. "Oh yeah, you're righ-Eh?"

Toshiro is nowhere to be found. She folded her arms over her chest and sighed with defeat.

"Man, this is embarrassing. I'm talking to myself."

"Hn, did you say something Okaa-san?"

She looked over to see her son dribbling a soccer ball with his shin. Naomi then gave him a stern look. "Oi, you should pay attention to what your parent has to say."

"Yeah, I understand. Can I go now?"

_"He's not listening,"_ she thought. She placed her hands on the side of her hips and sighed with defeat once more. "That's fine. By the time you return, you better be prepared for the long lecture I'm going to scold you with."

"Hai, ittekimasu."

"Yeah, have a safe trip." Once she heard the front door open and close, Naomi turned around and placed a hand over her head. She shook her head and said, "What am I going to do with him?"

By the time she placed her hand down, she noticed the dragon plush lying on the couch. She picked it up so that she can take a closer look at it. Suddenly, she cracked a faint smile on her face. The female Hitsugaya placed the dragon back down. As she went back into the kitchen, she only had one hopeful thought in her mind.

_"Maybe their faithful promise can be fulfilled after all. All they need now is a little time and luck." _

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya is leaving the premises when he stopped. He trapped the soccer ball under his foot and raised his head up to see the peach tree. After a brief moment of silence, Toshiro let out a faint smile on his face. After remembering the times he shared with Momo that relates to the growing fruit tree, he resumed walking to the grocery store while dribbling with his soccer ball. _"I'll be back soon, Tobiume."_

* * *

><p>Hinamori checked the time on her cell phone. Then, she let out a deep sigh and looked up to see the clear sky. She raised her empty fist up and nodded. <em>"Yosh, I can do this. Because I have to be truthful to my feelings, I won't hide this fact from Kira-kun anymore. Ever since that incident in America, I've come to realization: no matter how much time has passed by or how many people I go out with, my feelings for Toshiro won't ever change. After all, I am in love with him." <em>

"Hey Hinamori-kun."

Realizing who is in her presence, she turned her body to the side and smiled. "Ah Kira-kun, you came."

With a faint smile on his face, he slowly nodded with agreement. "Did I make you wait too long?"

She shook her head. "No, it's alright."

"Alright then, let's go."

Momo nodded and began following the blond haired teenager. "Hai."

Over the next hour, Kira lead her to a local restaurant where they sat and silently ate dinner together. _"This is strange,"_ Momo thought after placing her spoon on the empty plate. _"Kira-kun hasn't spoken to me since we met at the park. I wonder what is bothering him."_

Suddenly, it made her realize something. The peach girl lowered her head.

_"Then again, I have my own problems to deal with."_ She took a quick glance at him. _"How am I supposed to break the news to him? Should I do it now?"_

She shook her head.

_"No, that won't work. But then again, at least it's better than telling him the news at the end of the date."_ Hinamori sighed. _"Yosh, there's no need to wait any longer."_

She nodded.

_"It's for the best." _Momo raised her head up to look directly at her blond haired friend. After taking a deep breath, she said, "Kir-"

"Hinamori-kun," Izuru interrupted. "There is s-something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Eh, w-what is it?"

He raised his head up and said, "W-We need to break up."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

_**Uruse**_ - Shut Up, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Ja mata ne**_ - See You Later, _**Matane**_ - See You, _**Ittekimasu**_ - I'll be back

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** Le gasp! What could Kira's declaration mean? What is going to happen next? Well, there's only one way to find out: stay tuned to my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	19. Rightful Place

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own is Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey, what's with the early update? Well, within less than twenty-four hours, I will be going on a three day trip to visit my relatives in Montreal. Knowing that, I've decided to post things ahead of schedule. Isn't that great for you? xD Anyways, thanks for all your patience especially my awesome reviewers: **fayfan, Hyourinmaru10, muzikchic4eva, xXSennaXx, forbiddenlovex, icyangel27, Crystal183, Evertale, peachysnowFan, anime16, colourfullbook, xAznCookiehz, tH3cUrZedVAMPIRE, **and **peachyluvhshirochan98**. This story have reached THREE HUNDRED reviews! _*whistles with delight*_ HitsuHina plushes and cookies for everyone! Yay! Without any further delay, here is chapter nineteen. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."__  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Nineteen:** Rightful Place

"Thank you for shopping here today. Please come again soon!"

After stepping out of the grocery store, Hitsugaya closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh. Why does the store have to be so busy during this time of day? He opened his eyes to look up at the darkening sky. "I better get home or else Okaa-san is going to give me one hell of a long lecture."

He looked down to see the soccer ball he is holding under his right arm. After a brief moment of silence, he shrugged his shoulders and dropped the ball on the ground. With a single foot, he lifted it up into the air. Once it landed on his thigh, he began juggling with the ball.

However, the white haired prodigy found himself concentrated on keeping the soccer ball in the air with his legs and head. There's no mistaken it; he's experiencing the thrill of playing his favourite sport. "Okaa-san, can we buy some ice cream from that ice cream truck?"

Hitsugaya stopped what he was doing and trapped the ball under his foot. He looked to the side to see a young woman holding hands with her daughter. "Alright, be sure to finish everything."

"Hai!"

Toshiro draped his shopping bag over his shoulder. As he watched the two females walk by and buy an ice cream cone, he let out a soft smile. After watching them, it reminded him of the good old times when he used to do the same thing with his father. After a while, he let out a soft sigh and began walking home while lightly kicking his soccer ball. "Move out of my way!"

Wondering what is going on, he turned around. Just as he is about to say something, he was shoved to the side causing him to lose his balance. Luckily, he regained his composure before hitting against the nearby telephone pole. He turned to the front and shouted, "Idiot, watch where you're goi-"

He heard a scream. "Let go of my daughter!"

By the time he realized it, he froze on the spot. Before his very eyes is a masked man holding the girl hostage under his arm. He is armed with a gun which is pointing against the side of her head. The scene totally reminded him of that sad day. "Freeze!"

He turned his head to the side to see a group of policemen have caught up and are ready to fire their guns at any moment.

"Put the girl down and give yourself up!"

"Never!" the armed man exclaimed. "I won't allow myself to be caught by the likes of you! I will pull the trigger if you make one wrong move!"

One of the policemen hissed between his teeth. In the meantime, the worried mother pleaded to the masked man, "Please, doesn't hurt my baby!"

Just as she is about to take a step closer to them, the armed man looked at her and snapped, "That goes for you too!"

The woman gasped. "Don't worry ma'am," one of the policemen said. "We'll save your daughter!"

She looked at them and slowly nodded with agreement. "Please do."

Hitsugaya bit the bottom of his lip. He didn't want to be involved in this type of incident again. However, his sense of justice wouldn't allow him to ignore it. An innocent person's life is in danger. He has to do something to stop the armed man from causing harm. _"Shit!"_

Toshiro dropped his shopping bag on the ground. With his foot, he rolled the ball closer to him. After trapping it, he raised his leg back and took aim at his target. Then, with all the power he has, he kicked the soccer ball towards the armed man's face.

"Eat this!"

By the time he noticed, the man pointed his gun towards the ball and pulled the trigger. As a result, a bullet went through the soccer ball causing it to deflate. Just as he is turned his attention to the policemen, Hitsugaya elbowed him in the gut. The criminal gasped, seeking for breath and let go of the girl. With no time to spare, the white haired prodigy changed direction and wrapped his arms around the child. "You brat, you're going to pay for doing that!"

When he glanced over his shoulder, Hitsugaya's eyes widened upon seeing the gun point in his direction. There is no turning back now. This is the decision he decided to make. With fear and panic in his eyes, the armed man hastily pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p>"W-Wait, what?" Momo asked with surprise. "You want to break up with me?"<p>

Izuru slowly nodded with agreement and replied, "I'm sorry, but this is what I have decided."

"Why would you want to do tha-"

"You still love Hitsugaya-kun." Hinamori gasped. "Am I right?"

She fell silent and lowered her head. Kira sighed with defeat. Her actions are just what he expected. The peach girl raised her head up and tried to explain, "I-I..."

Suddenly, he placed a finger over her lips. "There is no need to tell me. For this whole time, I knew the truth. You still wanted to be with him."

"I-I don't get it. Why are you saying these things?"

He let out a soft smile. "Ever since you told us that you and Hitsugaya were childhood friends and eventually fate to be lovers, I always believed that someday he would remember his past and return to you. However, my feelings got in the way of your relationship. During that time, I-I got really jealous of Hitsugaya and you being together. For some reason, I somehow decided to break the both of you up by confessing my feelings to you."

"Kira-kun..."

He extended his hands out and placed them on hers. "In reality, I don't have any right to stand in between you and Hitsugaya. Your love for one another is obviously stronger than ours. So, it is best that we stop dating each other so that you can be together and fulfill that faithful promise with him."

"Kira-kun, I-I don't know what to say." Her eyes suddenly became teary. "Thank you and...I'm sorry."

"It is okay, Hinamori-kun. We could still be friends, right?"

She brushed the tears from her eyes with an arm and nodded with agreement. "Yeah, um..."

Momo lowered her head, trying to come up with the proper words to say to her friend.

Instead, Kira said, "I wish the best of luck to you and Hitsugaya."

She raised her head up and quickly replied, "Y-Yeah, same here. I hope you will be able to find a good girl to love too."

Izuru cracked a faint smile and placed a hand on the back of his head. After letting out a short laugh, he further said, "It will be a while, but I hope so too."

Hinamori smiled back and nodded her head.

"Well, now is probably a good time to head back home. It's starting to get dark."

"Yeah."

Kira stood up from his seat. "I'll walk with you all the way back."

"Thanks Kira-kun," Momo replied.

With a short nod, he looked to the side to see a waitress nearby. He extended his hand up and asked, "Can we have the bill please?"

* * *

><p>After the silent walk, Hinamori and Kira arrived at their destination. "Thanks again for walking me home. I had a great time."<p>

He gave her a soft smile and nodded with agreement. "It's no problem."

Then, without any warning, she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Izuru blushed. "You're a really great friend, Kira-kun."

"Ah yeah..."

Momo pulled away and stepped back. "Well, good night. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

He nodded. "Same here and good night."

Hinamori turned around and began walking up the doorstep. Just as she is about to insert the house key into the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open. The person at the door caused the peach girl to jump with surprise. "Okay Lil'Shiro, what took you so lo-Oh Momo-chan, it's only you."

"W-What's wrong, Naomi-san?" she asked.

The female Hitsugaya placed a hand on her hip. "Oh, I'm just a little worried. Toshiro just went out to do some grocery shopping, but he hasn't come back yet. He left about two hours ago."

"That is strange."

She nodded. "I tried to contact him on his cell phone, but he didn't pick up."

"I'll go look for him."

"W-Wait Momo-chan!"

Ignoring what Naomi has to say, the peach girl turned around and began running towards Izuru. "Kira-kun, I need your help."

Following the raven haired girl, he asked, "What happened?"

"We're going to look for Hitsugaya-kun," she answered. "He hasn't come home yet."

"Maybe he got distracted along the way home."

"It could be that."

"Then, there's nothing to worry about. Hitsugaya knows how to take care of himself."

"...I guess," she said. _"However, I can't seem to shake off this feeling in my stomach. I hope nothing serious happened to him."_

All of a sudden, they stopped running. They looked over to the side to see two police cars and an ambulance racing by.

"An accident?"

"Maybe..."

"Hey, you should have seen it!" said a voice.

Momo and Izuru glanced over their shoulders to see two local citizens talking with one another. "See what?"

"A white haired guy helped the police capture a runaway thief armed with a gun."

"What's so special about that?"

"He used his soccer ball to apprehend him and save a girl hostage at the same time."

"Whoa, that's gnarly."

"However, I heard he got injured in the process."

"Hn, really? Was it serious?"

He shrugged. "It probably is."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hey, it got really crowded by then. So, I couldn't see what really happened. But anyway, what I know for certain: I heard several gunshots and screams before the thief got arrested by the police."

All of a sudden, Momo placed her hand over her mouth and gasped. _"Oh no, Shiro-chan!"_

Kira placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. "Let's go and find out, Hinamori-kun."

She placed her hand down and nodded with agreement. "Okay."

With that said, the two teenagers began running again. "Do you know where it is?"

"It must be somewhere near the grocery store we usually go to when we need to do some shopping."

"Alright."

After a few minutes, they noticed a crowd of people gather around the police cars and ambulance. They stopped for a moment to see the whole scene before they started making their way to front row of the crowd. "Hitsugaya-kun!"

Once they made it to the front, they looked around. There is no sign of the white haired teenager anywhere. Momo suddenly took hold of the caution tape with her bare hands. She lifted it up over her head and went under it. Noticing what she's up to, the blond haired teenager called out to her, "H-Hinamori-kun, what are you doing?"

However, she didn't listen to a word he said. The peach girl raised her hands and hollered, "Hitsugaya-kun! Hitsugaya-kun, are you here?"

Kira sighed with defeat and began following her. "Oi Hinamori-kun!"

Momo then noticed the ambulance. Figuring that he's over there, she ran towards it. However, she was stopped by two police officers. "I'm sorry young lady, but we need to keep spectators from disturbing the scattered evidence."

"Please sir, you have to understand!" Hinamori pleaded. "I-I think my friend is in there!"

"Regardless, you have to wait," said the other police officer.

"Bu-But he's hurt!" Momo's eyes became teary. "W-What if...the worse has happened to hi-"

"Sorry sir, my friend was only concerned about my health," said a voice.

Hinamori gasped. There's no mistake; the voice she just heard is none other than her childhood friend. She looked over the policemen's shoulders to see him in her presence. _"H-Hitsugaya-kun!"_

Toshiro shrugged his shoulders and casually said, "She probably thought I was dead or something."

Kira sighed with relief over his friend's condition. _"At least, he's alright." _

"I-I see," the policeman replied. "Have the paramedics finished treating your wounds?"

Hitsugaya raised his right arm and placed his fingertips over a Band-Aid on his cheek. It is when Hinamori noticed. There are bandages and Band-Aids on several places on his body. "Yeah, they did."

"Alright then, we'll contact you again in the near future to verify the events of this incident."

He nodded. "Hai."

Once the policemen left, Hinamori immediately threw her arms around Hitsugaya and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Ack Hinamori, wh-what was that for?"

She pulled away for a moment, but then closed the distance once more with a lip kiss. Toshiro's eyes widened, surprised by the bold move.

By the time they pulled apart again, Momo exclaimed, "Baka Shiro-chan, don't scare me like that!"

"O-Oi, w-we..."

He looked over to see Kira in his presence. Noticing the white haired teenager, he cracked a faint smile. When he resumed his attention to the peach girl, she gave him a happy smile. "Daijobou, we aren't dating anymore."

"I-Is that so?"

She silently nodded. Toshiro turned to Kira. Quietly, he mouthed a thank you before returning his attention to Momo. He placed his hands on her waist. He leaned over to give her a loving kiss. In response, Hinamori placed her hands on his shoulder blades and closed her eyes. She simply melted and began deepening the kiss.

In the meantime, Izuru folded his arms over his chest and let out a sigh. _"This really is for the best. Hinamori-kun and Hitsugaya deserve to return to their rightful place: being together again."_

When they finally pulled apart, they gazed into each others' eyes. Suddenly, Momo asked, "By the way, what happened here?"

Hitsugaya turned his body to the side and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, it's nothing really. I just saved a girl who was held hostage by a local robber."

"I see."

"Wasn't that dangerous, Hitsugaya?" Kira asked. "We heard that he was armed with a gun."

Hinamori nodded. "How were you able to get away without having to get seriously hurt?"

Toshiro looked up and thought for a moment. After recalling the recent events, he looked at Momo and Izuru. He replied, "I got lucky. The robber fired his gun at me many times, but he only managed to graze me in several places."

Hitsugaya then looked down and noticed something.

"Ah shit, some of the bullets tore through my shirt. I need to buy another one." He sighed with defeat. "Come to think of it, I'm definitely going to get one hell of a long lecture from Okaa-san once I get home."

Momo smiled. "It can't be helped. I'm just glad you're alright."

The young prodigy smiled back.

"Well, I better get going." They turned their attention to Izuru. "It's way past my curfew."

"Oh okay," Hinamori said. "We'll see you tomorrow, Kira-kun."

"Ja ne Kira," Toshiro added. He nodded. After giving them a short wave, he quickly left the newly formed couple on their own. Hitsugaya then faced Hinamori. He extended a hand out and asked, "Shall we go home now, Momo?"

The peach girl accepted his offer and nodded with agreement. "Hai Toshiro."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

**_Okaa-san_** - Mother,**_ Hai_** - Yes,**_ Daijobou_** - It's Alright,**_ Ja ne_** - Good bye _(casual/informal)_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** All's well that ends well. They're finally together. Yay! There's one chapter left until this story is complete! So, stay tuned for the posting of chapter twenty! In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
><strong>


	20. The Fulfilled Promise

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original character I do own are Miyako Hinamori, Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya, Tatsuya Hinamori, and Kristina Smith.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **Hey everyone! I'm sorry for all the delay. Over the past week, I've been busy with getting back into the school groove. _*sighs with defeat*_ There goes all my free time. Anyways, thank you everyone for all your patience especially my wonderful reviewers: **cherryblossom997, anime16, icyangel27, Crystal183, muzikchic4eva, fayfan, xAznCookiehz, peachyluvhshirochan98, Evertale, toshiko-san21, peachysnowFan, forbiddenlovex, Hyourinmaru10, Reader-Favs, **and **KiRisH KiRisH.** Without any further delay, here is the final chapter of The Faithful Promise. Enjoy!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>LEGEND<span>**

"Talking." _"Thinking."_ "Talking in a Different Language." _  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Faithful Promise<span>**

**Chapter Twenty:** The Fulfilled Promise

The alarm rang, disrupting the peach girl from her sleep. She let out a small groan and turned her body to the side of the bed. Extending a hand out from under the blanket, she silenced the clock with a single push of a button. Once the room fell quiet, Momo Hinamori went back to sleep. However, it didn't take long before she heard another disturbance. "Momo-chan, it's time to wake up and get out of bed!"

She heard the additional presence of another person enter the room. Then, she turned her body to the other side and tried to go back to sleep. "Mm, five more minutes..."

Hinamori heard the sound of a sigh. "You're twenty-two years old already and you still need your parent to get her child out of bed?"

Without any warning, Miyako took hold of the blanket and lifted it off her. Upon feeling the sudden breeze throughout her body, Hinamori curled up into a ball. "Get up and get ready Momo-chan! Today is your special day!"

At that moment, the raven haired woman opened her eyes and looked at her mother. Once the words registered in her mind, she immediately sat up. "Oh yeah, that's right."

Momo turned to Miyako.

After cracking a smile on her face, she exclaimed, "I'm going to get married today!"

The Hinamori mother giggled. "Of course you're going to get married. However, there are only less than seven hours until the ceremony starts!"

"Seven hours?" Momo asked as she watched Miyako fold the blanket. Then, she remembered something. "Wait a minute, has Toshiro woken up yet?"

"Oh, Naomi-chan already woke and dragged poor Toshiro-kun out of the house." She stopped for a moment to think. "I think that happened about an hour ago?"

Hinamori checked the time on her alarm. She exclaimed, "At five o'clock in the morning? That's so early!"

"I know, but we don't want any bad luck happening to you guys. Don't you know that it's bad luck to see each other hours before your marriage?"

"R-Really!"

Miyako nodded. "Yup, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Oh okay..."

"Anyways, it's time to get your butt moving! We still have a lot of to do before you walk down that aisle!"

"H-Hai!" Just as Hinamori got out of bed, she lost her balance and began tipping over. "W-Whoa!"

With her motherly instincts on high alert, Miyako quickly took hold of her daughter's arm. "Momo-chan, are you alright?"

The young woman placed a hand on the back of her head and let out a hesitant laugh. "Ah yeah, don't worry about me. I'm just feeling a little klutzy today."

"Just be careful, alright?"

She nodded with agreement. "Yeah."

"Good, I'll wait for you downstairs."

With that said, Hinamori watched her mother leave the room. Once the door was closed, Momo let out a sigh. Then, she looked down at her lower abdomen and placed hand over it. She let out a faint smile before she turned her attention to the direction where her mother left the bedroom. _"Sorry Okaa-san, but I can't tell you the truth just yet. You will get a chance to hear it from us later."_

* * *

><p>Toshiro placed a hand over his mouth and let out a yawn. "Damn it, why did you have to wake me up so early?"<p>

Naomi took a quick glance at her son and simply smiled with delight. "If you see Momo-chan, you two will be cursed with bad luck."

"Okaa-san, pay attention to the road," he scolded. "That's just a superstition."

"I don't want to risk that chance."

He hissed between his teeth before resting his elbow on the armrest cover. After placing his chin on the palm of his hand, he turned his attention to the side view mirror. "Geez..."

"Anyway, I'm still quite surprised," Naomi said while driving the car to their destination. "A month ago, just before you two graduated from university, you proposed to her."

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked. "I thought you would be very happy for Momo and I. Besides, you are the one who keeps creating one-on-one moments with us together."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, I've nursed and raised you since you were in my womb. With that said, I know when you're acting a bit out of place. Is there something you're hiding from me?" Judging from the look on her son's face, she knew he is not going to say a thing. Naomi sighed with defeat. "I also have known Momo-chan long enough to understand what she's thinking. You two are the type of people who likes to take your romantic relationship slowly. So, what's with the sudden need to rush it?"

He took a quick glance at her before he looking away again. _"She probably knows."_

All of a sudden, she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! Don't tell me what I think it is; something's wrong with either one of you. It must be cancer, isn't it?"

Hitsugaya looked at her and made a face. _"I was expecting her to know right off the bat, but I guess even she can get it wrong sometimes."_

He sighed with defeat.

_"Oh well, I'll let her keep guessing."_

"Well, spill the beans!"

"Okaa-san, don't worry neither one of us are going to die soon," he admitted. "According to our last doctor's check up, we're both perfectly healthy."

She narrowed her eyes at the white haired man sitting in the front passenger seat. "Are you sure about that?"

He returned her sentiments with his own glare. Then, he noticed something. "Oi, stop the car!"

Realizing that she is about to pass a red light, Naomi immediately hit the brakes. As a result, the car tires squealed to a halt. Hitsugaya sighed with relief.

"We nearly got killed just now!" he snapped. "The last thing I want is for Momo to become terribly heartbroken if she finds out that something bad happened to me hours before we officially become a married couple!"

The female Hitsugaya simply placed a hand on the back of her head and laughed. "Oops, my bad."

"My bad, my ass." He turned his attention to the side mirror again. "Don't do it again."

She giggled and lightly pressed her foot on the gas petal. As the car began to move again, she said, "I won't, Lil'Shiro."

"Okaa-san, please..."

Naomi groaned. "Okay fine; I'll stop calling you Lil'Shiro, Toshiro."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>"Well, guess who finally showed up?" Matsumoto asked as Naomi and Toshiro entered the house. "You sure took your sweet time getting here."<p>

"If you want to blame someone, blame my mother," Hitsugaya replied as he took a quick glance at the smiling woman beside him. "She was driving dangerously on the road."

"I wouldn't so sure about that," Naomi said, folding her arms over her chest. "You, on the other hand, wanted to continue sleeping in."

"Well, it can't be helped that I'm like that. I like to get a full night's rest especially on a day like today." He then placed a hand over his mouth and let out a yawn. "Speaking about it, I need to catch up on my sleep."

He turned to the strawberry orange haired woman.

"If you need me, I'll be resting somewhere in this house." Just as Naomi is about to say something, he added, "Don't worry; I'll get ready when I have to. Besides, it doesn't take long for men to get dressed in formal attire compared to women."

"Hey, what's wrong with us taking so long to get ready?" Rangiku asked.

Once the white haired man left, Naomi sighed with defeat and turned to Matsumoto. She asked, "Rangiku-chan, do you have any idea why Toshiro and Momo-chan wanted to get married right away after graduation?"

"Actually, I thought they wanted to get married right away because of the promise they made a long time ago."

"They only promised to be together which means they don't have to get married just to do so."

"Hn, what's with all the fuss going on here?" asked a voice.

The two women turned to the side to see Ichimaru join in the conversation. Matsumoto placed a hand on her hip and complained, "It took you long enough to wake up, Gin."

"Well, I'm sorry," he replied. "Even a genius like me needs to get a full night's rest."

She gave him a look. "Oh no, you're not pulling up the Hitsugaya excuse."

"You're so mean."

Naomi giggled. "It's nice seeing you again, Gin."

"Same here; you're looking young and pretty as ever."

The female Hitsugaya placed a hand on the back of her head and began laughing out loud. "Oh really? I'm glad you said that."

"Oi Ichimaru, don't flatter her anymore or else the compliment will get to her brain," they heard a voice.

Everyone turned to the other side to see the white haired groom lying on the sofa with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. Naomi made a pout face. "You're no fun, Toshiro."

"Shouldn't you be taking Matsumoto back to the house?" he asked. "You know, to get the bride ready for the ceremony."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Naomi turned to Matsumoto. "Let's go, Rangiku-chan!"

"I'm right behind you!"

"You're as calm as ever, Hitsugaya-kun," Ichimaru said after the two men watched the women leave the house. "You don't seem to be worried at all about the wedding."

Toshiro opened his eyes to take a look at the grinning man.

"Don't get me wrong; I am worried," he replied before looking away. "However, I have other important matters that are just as worrying as this."

"Hn, what would that be?"

He let out a soft sigh. "The speech we're going to address to everyone at the wedding reception."

* * *

><p>"Oh my gosh, my sweet peach!" Tatsuya cried. "You look just beautiful!"<p>

Momo let out a hesitant laugh. "Oto-san, pull yourself together. We're going to walk down the aisle in a few minutes."

"I can't believe this is happening!"

The peach woman let out a defeated sigh. She knew her father would act this way, but it's starting to get annoying. If they delay any longer, people will start wondering what happened to them. "Oto-san!"

Tatsuya wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. "Okay, I'm alright. L-Let's go."

With a short nod, she took her father's hand. In a few minutes, she will walk down the aisle to meet with the person she wanted to see the most: her soon to be husband.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the doors, family members, friends, the bridesmaids, the best man, and the groom are waiting in the bride's arrival. "I wonder what's taking them so long."

"It's probably just Hinamori-san," Hitsugaya replied. "I can imagine him crying behind those doors."

The best man looked over at the white haired man and let out a faint smile. "You're just as cool and collective as you've always been, Hitsugaya."

"On the other hand, you're just as worrisome." Toshiro looked over and let out a smirk. "Izuru Kira."

"Ou, here comes the bride!"

Upon hearing one of the wedding guests say that, everyone turned around to see the father and daughter standing at the back of the room. Once he laid eyes on her, he immediately was left standing on the spot with awe. He always knew his childhood friend to be an attractive woman, but after seeing her in that wedding dress, he just don't know what to say anymore.

When Momo noticed her love, she let out a timid smile and began walking down the aisle with her father. Before long, she is right by his side. "Toshiro..."

Her beloved childhood friend let out a compassionate smile. "You look beautiful, Momo."

The raven haired bride blushed and lowered her head.

"T-Thanks," she timidly replied before raising her head up. "You look handsome yourself."

"Yeah, but you obviously outclassed me."

Hinamori giggled before the both of them turned to Tatsuya. The male Hinamori took a quick glance at Toshiro and gave him a silent nod. Hitsugaya nodded back before taking his girlfriend's hand. Together, they walked up to the pastor and waited for their vows to be exchanged.

"Has today been a hassle for you just like mine?" he whispered.

"Yeah, it was," Momo replied. "I'm glad this is going to be over soon."

Hitsugaya let out a soft sigh. "I agree. My head is still spinning from coming up with the right words to say for the speech later."

"If your head's spinning, the my head's aching. Besides, I am the one who is going to deliver the special news to everyone."

"Yeah, I can imagine the looks on everyone's faces."

"Ditto."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, do you take Momo Hinamori in sickness and in health, to love, to honour, and to serve, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the pastor asked.

The groom simply replied, "Yes, I do."

"Momo Hinamori, do you take Toshiro Hitsugaya in sickness and in health, to love, to honour, and to serve, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Momo smiled. "Yes, I do."

"Now, for the exchanging of the rings."

Once the ring bearer presented the rings on the pillow to the wedded couple, Toshiro took one of the rings and placed it through Momo's left ring finger. Moments later, Hinamori did the same in vise versa. Once they are done, they held their hands together and smiled sweetly at one another.

The pastor looked at the bride and then the groom before continuing, "You may kiss the bri-"

Then, without any warning, Toshiro threw his arms around his love. With no time to waste, he gave her a loving kiss. As they witnessed the loving scene, people had surprised expressions on their faces. Ichimaru smirked with amusement before turning to Ichigo, Renji, and Hisagi. "Hn, I told you Hitsugaya-kun will make the move first. So, hand over the dough."

"Shit," Kurosaki said.

"Damn you," Abarai cursed while Shuhei sighed with defeat.

Matsumoto smiled with amusement. "Well, this is something nice for a change."

She turned to the other bridesmaid standing beside her.

"Don't you agree, Kristina?"

The blond haired American nodded with agreement. "Oh yeah, watching this scene is worth traveling to the other side of the globe."

"You said it."

By the time they finally pulled apart, Hinamori giggled. "It seems like my husband couldn't wait for the pastor to finish."

Hitsugaya smiled in return. "Nope, not at all."

* * *

><p>"Cheers!"<p>

Glasses of wines and juices clashed against one another before pulling back to its respected owners. Everyone that participated took a short sip from their drinks. However, one of them drank all the contents at once and let out a loud satisfying sigh. "Man, that really hit the spot!"

"Geez Matsumoto, do you really have to do that?" Toshiro asked.

"What? I was thirsty." He sighed with defeat while Hinamori giggled with amusement. "Well anyways, congratulations! We're very happy for you two!"

Momo smiled. "Thanks a lot. Be sure to invite us to your wedding when it's your turn."

"Oh no, that's not going to happen anytime soon for me," Rangiku said.

Hitsugaya looked at Ichimaru and then raised an eyebrow. Noticing the expression on the groom's face, Gin returned the sentiment with a simple grin on his face. He returned his attention to the rest of his companions. Kristina took a quick sip from her drink before asking, "Now that you're engaged, are you planning on having children anytime soon?"

"Ou, that's a good question," Matsumoto said.

"Well, um..." Momo trailed off and turned to Toshiro for some help.

But before he could say anything, Rangiku folded her arms over her chest and let out a sigh. "Let me guess; you two haven't started thinking about it."

"Something...like that."

She then gave them a look. "I'm not surprised. You two really like to take this relationship slow."

Hinamori let out a hesitant laugh. Suddenly, everyone heard a screeching noise. After most people covered their ears with their hands, they turned to the side to see Orihime and Rukia by the DJ. The orange haired woman raised her microphone towards her mouth and said, "Alright everyone, can I get your attention please? It's time to stop what you are doing and watch our beloved wedded couple to share their first dance together!"

"Oh no, I'm no-" Hitsugaya said before he was pulled to the dance floor by Matsumoto.

"That's too bad," Rangiku interrupted. "You're giving us a show whether you like it or not."

"K-Kristina!" Hinamori said. "I-I don't want t-"

"Oh come on, Momo!" she replied before pushing her towards Hitsugaya. "Just do it!"

At that moment, Hinamori lost her balance. Sensing danger, the groom did not waste time coming to her aid. He caught her in his embrace. "Are you alright?"

She nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Then, they heard the slow dance music start playing. The wedded couple took a moment to look around at the people who are happily waiting for them to start. They looked at their parents before looking at one another. Toshiro sighed with defeat. "Well, it looks like we have no other choice."

"It seems like it." With a short smile, he placed his hands on her waist while she placed hers on his shoulders. After sharing a loving kiss, they began dancing to the music. "Toshiro."

"Hn, yeah?"

"I'm very happy to be wedded to you."

"Me too."

She leaned against his chest and let out a content sigh. "After all we've been though, our promise has finally been fulfilled."

"Yeah, we had our rough and happy moments. In the end, all the waiting was worth it."

Hinamori smiled and gave him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

With that said, they continued their dance until the music was done. Once they stopped, they turned their attention to the strawberry orange haired woman who has taken hold of the microphone.

"Excuse me for a moment please," Matsumoto said. "Our beloved bride and groom have a few words to say to everyone!"

Momo sighed. "Well, here it goes."

"Oh yeah."

They joined their hands together and walked up to the platform. Once they are there, Rangiku passed the microphone to Toshiro.

"First of all, we would like to thank everyone for coming all the way here to celebrate this special day with us," Hitsugaya said. "It's greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to help us make this day possible. Without your help, who knows what could have happened?"

Toshiro then passed the microphone to his wife. "Furthermore, we would like to take this time to announce...something very important."

"Eh, what would that be?" Naomi wondered before turning to Miyako.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we're about to find out."

Momo took a quick glance at Toshiro before resuming her attention to the party guests. "I'm currently two months pregnant."

Without any warning, Matsumoto spat all the contents from her mouth and into Ichimaru's face. "WHAT?"

"Oi Rangiku," Gin said as he wiped the contents from his face with a tablecloth. "That's rude to do something like that."

"What? What?" Kristina asked Kira. "What did Momo just say?"

"Momo just said that she's two months pregnant," Izuru replied.

All of a sudden, she placed her hands on her cheeks. "Oh my god!"

"You're serious?" Ichigo asked.

"S-Sugoi," Kira said. "I can't believe it."

All of a sudden, Naomi and Miyako stood up from their seats and squealed with excitement. On the other hand, Tatsuya just sat there in shock. Naomi exclaimed from the top of her lungs, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this! Momo-chan's having a baby!"

"Kyaa, they have already started their happy family!" Miyako cheered.

"Already getting ready for parenthood, huh?" Rukia said.

Renji nodded with agreement. All of a sudden, Naomi thought of something. "Wait a minute, don't tell me the reason you rushed this is because of Momo-chan's pregnancy?"

"That's part of the reason," Toshiro admitted. "If I knew Momo was going to tell me about her condition, I could have proposed to her earlier."

"Oh well, it can't be helped. Congratulations!"

"Congratulations!"

"Our prayers are with you!"

"It seems like everyone took it well," Momo said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Toshiro replied. He then raised a finger and pointed at something. "Look."

Wondering what he's referring to, she turned her head to see her father has suddenly collapsed. She gasped. "Oto-san!"

Hitsugaya sighed. "Let's go and see how he's doing."

Hinamori nodded with agreement. "Hai."

The wedded couple joined Naomi, Miyako, and Tatsuya.

"Is he alright?"

"Oh, don't worry," Miyako said. "He just fainted."

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Momo asked.

Miyako giggled. "The last time he did that was when I told him that you are a girl and not a boy."

"...I see."

"Should I go call an ambulance?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Leave that to Miyako-chan and I," Naomi replied. "You two can just go back to greeting the other guests."

"Okay then," Hinamori said. "If you say so, Naomi-san."

She smiled. "Hai."

Momo sighed with defeat before turning to Toshiro. "There's never a dull moment for us, isn't there?"

He shook his head. "Nope, there isn't."

**~ OWARI ~**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Japanese Word Translations<span>**

**_Hai - _**Yes, _**Okaa-san**_ - Mother, _**Oto-san**_ - Father, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, **_Owari - _**The End

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>****:** And that's all she wrote! This story's finally complete! Yay! (_Aww, it's over!_) I would like to take a moment to thank my wonderful supporters: ****anime16, becomeafan, Desiree, Mrs. HopeEstheim, kat, 90210, Crystal183, toshiko-san21, Evertale, Koatan, L0ckette, applestoapples, mao, alana, xXLolitaXx, KoKomimicHan, bengara-koushi, lol, ddddd, icyangel27, Hiroshi, azngurl113219, peachesandstrawberries, queen gaga, Anonymous, cherry blossom, tanithhh, Ebbie54, MoonLightView, Reader-Favs, fayfan, Anonymous1, ying fa, silhouette, peachysnowFan, sabrina, pinky3chan, Rawr, Just-listen-to-your-heart, Koneko144, hitsuhinax, Lulu22Temmy, Natsume, Hyourinmaru10, Anonymous2, hitsugayataichoda, xXSennaXx, Panchan, peachyluvhshirochan98, HellionKyou, Lavi-hime 4E -3, benette, cherryblossom997, KhempriIrisi, Aurelia Artemee, KiRisH KiRisH, blue Roses, Himiko Areess, ElizLyonEclipse, shiro-ouji-sama, xAznCookiehz, colourfullbook, cindy cordova, HitsuxHina54KidxLiz, Holy Dawn, forbiddenlovex, ShinjiLuver123, muzikchic4eva, ****and ****tH3cUrZedVAMPIRE****. Without you, I wouldn't have been as motivated to complete this story in the first place. So, thanks a whole bunch!

What are my plans for later? Well, I have to finish Secrets Retold. It's long overdue for an update and I need to get back to working on The 100 HitsuHina Themes Challenge. Other than that, I have to post the first chapter to my next HitsuHina story: Beyond Perspective after this. (_hint hint_)

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Anyways, stay tuned to my profile or my other stories for the next update! In the meantime, please leave your final comments and questions in a review. Thanks!


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